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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.* 



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I UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. J 




HISTORY 



OF THE 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY, 



PRIJVCETOjy. 



HISTORY 



7 



^ 

>" 



OF THE 



COLLEGE OF NEW JEESET, 



FROM ITS COMMENCEMEINT, A. D., 1746, TO 1783. 



[prepared originally FOR'tHE PRINCETON WHIG, FEB, 1844.] 




•^* ^7-^ C^^^^^- 



BY A GRADUATE. 



^ 



^ ^hjL- 1^4^ a , C.^^y^€^ 4^- (^^^-J^<jt'/*r:Z^ 



^ PRINCETON, N. J.: ^' 
PUBLISHED BY J. T. ROBINSON. 
1844. 



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HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERStt, 

FROM ITS COMMENCEMENT, A. D. 1746, 
TO THE PRESEJTT TTJfTE. 

[PREPARED FOR THE PRINCETON WHIG, FEB. 1844.] 



The date from which the CoUeo^e of New i 
Jersey commences its existence as a legal. 
Corporation^ is Xhe fourteenth day of Septein- \ 
her, seventeen Jiundred and forty-eight. As | 
a Literary Institution^ the Seminary from; 
which this College took its rise, went into ope- 
ration some years before — probably soon after 
the division of the Synod of Philadelphia — 
which then represented the whole Presbyte- 
rian Church in the British Provinces — into 
the Synods of Philadelphia, and of New York, 
whicli took place in 1741. It is certain that 
snch a school was established as early as the 
22d of October, 1746, thronoli the exertions of 
gentlemen who adhered to the Synod of New 
York, which at that time comprised among 
others, the Colony of New Jersey, (and which 
body, it is in point to notice in this connexion, 
had been violently reproached, with some 
show of reason, arising from the urgency of 
the case, by the partisans of the other con- 
nection, with promoting candidates to the 
office of the ministry, who were deficient in 
literary qualifications.) For it appears from the 
notes of President Green, out of which the pre- 
sent account of the College is mainly compiled, 
that " a charter to incorporate sundry persons 
to found a College, passed the great seal of 
this Province of New Jersey, tested by John 
Hamilton, Esq., President of his Majesty's 
Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Pro- 
vince of New Jersey, the 22d October, 1746" — 
to whom, it was granted, is not a matter of re- 
cord ; but there is no doubt that the patrons 
of the School mentioned were the petitioners 
for this charter, and that from some inadequate 
nature of its privileges, they studiously re- 
frained from acting under it. It is also certain 
that the persons who applied for this charter 
were the same ones that two years afterwards 
obtained the present charter of the College. 



But as they never availed themselves of the 
corporate powers of the previous franchise it 
cannot be properly said that they at that time 
had acquired the corporate style of it. It is 
true that no mention is made of the surrender 
of this charter; but it is equally true that 
there is no mention made of its acceptance^ 
but from the absence of anything positive, the 
contrary is to be inferred. And moreover, the 
instrument under which that body receives 
its present powers, is not a modification, but is 
an original document in all respects. Still, 
the question of the legal date of the College, is, 
perhaps after all, one not so much of techni- 
cal construction as of historical uncertainty. 
And he who knows the above facts has as 
much ground for an opinion as it is possible at 
this time to obtain. The only important end 
to be attained by relatino;' the date of the Col- 
lege to the Charter of 1746, is that the formal 
presidency of Mr. Dickinson may be included 
in the colleofiate history, though his virtual 
authority and connexion v/ith the present In- 
stitution, may be considered as incorporated 
with the very existence of it. And in connec- 
tion with the difficulty of settling this pre- 
cise question, it may be remarked, that no 
incidental information, as from the public 
prints of the time — local pamphlets, <fec. is to 
be found concerning, or emanating from this 
College, after the most laborious research. So 
early even from its inception did it assume that 
noiseless confidence in the intrinsic truthfulness 
and fidelity of its fundamental doctrines, that it 
rejected from the very outset any public appeal 
to any motive that was not as real as itself And 
though its approach to this moment, has been 
that of a perilous, and often of a truly pathetic 
discipline of external trial and destitution, yet 
in all its appeals it has never implored — in all 
its sufferings it has never complained — and 



HISTORY OF THE 



the paltriness of a ^elf -glorification^ he must 
search lonor after, who undertakes to find. 
At least such is the fatigued testiniony of the 
compiler, who has no more immediate interest 
in what he affirms, than that of a proud devo- 
tion, in common with his fellow-alumni. The 
cotemporaneoiis history of this College is only 
in the technical volumes of its own re- 
cords, and the breasts of its graduates. And 
those of them who have not had occasion 
to notice the generality of this fact, ought 
to be informed of it. Our Alma Mater is 
forever guiltless of any discoverable in- 
stance of self-praise — and she is equally 
guiltless of any vehemence of self-com- 
miseration. Whatever cries the severity 
of her reverses may have extorted, have been 
without emphasis, in woixls of exact wisdom, 
that could have come only from a calm self- 
possession inspired by the steady conscious- 
ness of the intrinsic worthiness and dignity of 
her own doctrine, and by which she has al- 
ways been majestic even in her lamentations. 

From what has been already said — from 
the most abundant direct evidence from 
sources to be mentioned, and from the nature 
of the existing circumstances, it is manifest 
that, under those circumstances, the College 
of New Jersey traces its immediate origin to 
the influence of religion. And it was only 
an influence so vital and so urgent, that could 
by any ordinary possibility at that juncture, 
have educed the result. Doubtless a merely 
secular and prudential necessity for a corpo- 
rate literary institution was strongly perceived 
at that time and had been fait for years pre- 
vious. 

Throughout the whole extent of the British 
Provinces lying between Connecticut and Vir- 
ginia, there Vv^as no institution having author- 
ity to confer degrees in the arts. From the 
date of the charter of the present College of 
New- Jersey back to that of Yale, in Connec- 
ticut, was a period of forty-seven years. The 
New-England Provinces had established their 
Harvard, in Massachusetts, in 1638 ; the south- 
ern had founded their William and Mary in 
Virginia in 1691. And certainly in the mid- 
dle portions of the country — though from their 
later date of settlement, and from their con- 
flicts and ill-adjusted arbitrations with foreign 
pre-occupants of their territory, their colonial 
polity was later in coming to the equilibrium, 
and energy of a well-confirmed government ; 
yet no one doubts that their constitutions and 



resources had by this time worked out for 
them sucjar a degree of refinement and impor- 
tance, ^hat the necessity for an incorporated 
institution of learning had become imperative 
upon them as well as their neighbors, both 
for the utility and the accomplishment of the 
education which it should impart. But no 
one who has only cursorily examined the 
political aspect of the middle provinces during 
those forty-seven years, will for a moment 
suppose, that under the circumstances, any 
principle less urgent than that of the force of 
vital religion could have met that necessity 
and have obviated it in any other way than 
that of abandoning it. It cannot be too 
strongly insisted upon that the College of New 
Jersey is not only religious in its principles, 
but was the necessary and only possible j^ro- 
duct of religion. That, as no merely exter- 
nal necessity could have been sufficient to 
originate it under the political circumstances 
existing at its commencement, neither could 
the utmost pertinacity of a purely sectarian 
impulse have any more accomplished and sus- 
tained the end. And that while it is thus re- 
moved from a sole dependance upon any prin- 
ciple of temporal association, it is equally, if 
not much farther removed from any alliance 
or connexion with the unnatural and partial 
force of any superstitious partisan preference. 
It will be manifest to any one who looks for a 
moment at the tumultuous state of society in 
these provinces during the administration of 
Governor Morris, the commotions of which 
had not subsided even long after the more ra- 
tional and dignified rule of Gov. Belcher, and 
which before they came fully to rest, were 
met and still more violently agitated by the 
influx of yet fiercer sources of disagreement; 
in addition to all their difficulties with border 
aggressors ; the incessant demands of the mo- 
ther country for supplies to promote her own 
wars ; the obstinate contest that had already 
commenced between the prerogative and de- 
mocratic element ; one part of the government 
in a constant attitude of suspicion and onset 
against the other ; each only studying how it 
might over-manoeuvre and thwart its rival ; 
the exorbitancy and superciliousness of the 
aristocratic branch, and the retaliating incom- 
patabilityand sullenness of the commons. In 
the midst of a complication of things so hope- 
less and so far removed from the temper of any 
kind of literary complacency, it is manifest 
that not only was it the radicating efficacy of 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



the elegant and public spirited Belcher, for 
whom they were waiting", a mind and a heart 
consonant with their own efforts — New Jersey 
too, was the place of residence of the most in- 
fluential characters engaged in the work — and' 
it happened also that the man of all of them 
who was in all respects the best adapted to 
superintend and conduct the education of 
youth, was likewise a resident of this State. — 
This was the Rev. Jonathan Dickinson of 
Ehzabethtovxrn. " We have seen that Mr. 
Dickinson was President of the College only 
under the first charter. Who were the trus- 
tees named in that charter, or appointed under 
it, when or wliere they met, or at what time 
and in what manner Mr. Dickinson was ap- 
pointed President, cannot now be known and 
it is useless to conjecture.* It is not improba- 
ble that he had long been accustomed to re- 
ceive youth for instruction in classical litera- 
ture. For this employment Mr. Dickinson 
was better qualified than most of his brethren ; 
and there is little reason to doubt that he had 
been engaged in it for a considerable time. 
But however this might have been previously 
to the granting of the charter for a college, it 
is certain that he was so employed for the short 
period that intervened between the date of the 
charter and time of his death. It is also 
certain that his pupils had made very conside- 
rable progress in the course of their education ; 
for about a year after his decease, it appears 
that six individuals received their Bachelor's 
degree. This was under the present charter, 
which in the mean time had been obtained by 
Gov. Belcher, but it is probable that the whole 
of these youths had been previously in the 
training of Mr. Dickinson, and that by his 
instructions they had advanced so far as to be 
within a year of graduation. 

"How many pupils, in all, were under his 
care, at the time of his decease, can only be 
conjectured. From the number graduated 
the author thinks it probable that the whole 
num.ber did n.ot exceed tVv^enty. Some of 
them, it is likely, boarded with the President, 
and the others in families near to his dvv'eliiiig, 



a religious principle operating upon the ne- 
cessity created by its own wants, as well as 
that of the external public, that could alone 
have overcome those difficulties ; but that if 
the College of New.lersey had not established 
itself durinof Belchers administration — the 
only time of comparative quiet that the colony 
enjoyed from its settlement to the war of the 
revolution — then after that crisis, no possible 
union of any kind could have been adequate 
to the confirmation of such an undertaking 
till after the peace of 1783. This is a vital 
point in the history of the College, and it has 
been thought proper to insist upon it ; and 
those who may not have turned their atten- 
tion to its history may easily see that of the two 
opposite reproaches which have been cast 
upon the Institution, that it originated and ad- 
vanced under a political subservienc}^, or else 
that it grew out of an ecclesiastical sectarism — 
the one is as impossible as the other is absurd. 

It has been said, that there was nothing ex- 
isting under the turbulent political character 
of the times, at all coincident with the neces- 
sity that had grown up for a literary institu- 
tion, which was not either too partial or too 
busy to produce it, except it be found in the 
consistent and predominating force of a truly 
reliofious sentiment. And in the same thins: 
consists the design of this College — namely, 
*'au union of religion and learning." It is 
not now, for the purpose of resisting reproach 
or the possibility of it, that this point has 
been noticed. For, although it is not always 
easy to make all persons distinguish the differ- 
ence between a technical inception and a vital 
origin ; or the after distinction, between the 
obvious supervision of a mere executive unity, 
and the equitable administration of a general 
design — yet it is not supposable that the In- 
stitution is in any great danger on this point. 
It is to make apparent the precise nature of 
this College, and the grand aim and purpose 
of its founders, who in the best earnestness of 
humanity and godliness set themselves to the 
work which they accomplished. The piety 
and patience of these excellent wise men to be 
appreciated must be understood. 

Those gentlemen of the Synod of New | ^Concerning this doubt of a " bona fide" accept- 
Yoi'k who instituted the plan and method of'ance of the first charter a piece of information was 
this undertaking, selected the State of New ', overlooked in the last communication, it is this: — 
Jersey as the centre of their operations, proba- " ^^ ^ conversation on the subject with the late Dr. 
bly because it was the most central in territo- '^°^^^^°^' ^ ^^^ ^°^^^^^ ^^^^-"^ ^^'^ ^'^^^' ^' "^'^'"^ 



ry — the most congenial at the time in its mor 



the writer (Pres. Green) that such a charter had been 
granted, and that Mr. Dickinson Iiad acted under it, 



al aspect— and chiefly because they found in as President of the College." 



4 



HISTORY OF THE 



in^Elizabethtovvn, as no public buildings had 
then been erected for their accommodation. — 
It is presumed that an usher or tutor was em- 
ployed to assist the Presidentj but the chief 
labor of instruction must have fallen upon 
himself. What must have been his activity 
and industry, \vhen,5;to all his other occupa- 
t'ons and enofaofements were added the duties 
of a practising- physician ? Yet those duties 
he so performed as to obtain a considerable 
medical reputation." The building in which 
this school, or incipient college, was held is 
said to have been near to the first Presbyterian 
Church of Elizabethtown: and its foundation 
walls, yet remaining on that spot, are now 
pointed out as the embryo Nassau Hall. Mr. 
Dickinson was a native of Hatfield in Massa- 
chusetts. His descent was from a reputable 
family. His parents were Hezekiah and Abi- 
gail Dickinson. The tradition is that, his 
mother was a widow, married and removed to 
Springfield, with her children, and that their 
step-father furnished their education. Her 
son Moses was a clergyman of high dis- 
tinction in his day, and was pastor of the Con- 
gregational church at Norwalk, in Connecti- 
cut. Jonathan, as it appears by the town re- 
cords of Hatfield, was born 22d April, 1688. 
He was one of the brightest luminaries of the 
American church at the period in which he 
hved. He was graduated at Yale College in 
1706, and within one or two years afterwards, 
he was settled minister of the first Presbyte- 
rian Church in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. 
Of this church he was, for near forty years, 
the joy anil glory."* The abilities and cha- 
racter of President Dickinson are so well 
known, that it is deemed unnecessary to make 
any further extracts. This venerable man, so 
intimately connected with the first existence 
of this Institution of learnins:, and v/ho was 
one of the most strenuous and most laborious 
of all its early promoters, died at his own pa- 
rish, where his body now lies, the 7th of Octo- 
ber 1747 — as appears from a part of the in- 
scription on his monument 

^'Here 
Lies the body of the Rev'd 
Mr. JONATHAN DICKINSON, Pastor 

of the first Presbyterian Church 

In Elizabethtown, who died, October, 

The 7th, 1747 ; setatis suae 60." 

"The pupils who had been under the 



* Alden's Collection, as quoted by Dr. Green- 



charge of Mr. Dickinson, at Elizabethtown, 
v/ere, after his death, removed to Newark and 
placed under the care of Mr. Burr. He, there- 
fore, was considered as the successor of Mr. 
Dickinson in the Presidency of the Collegc,even 
under the first charter. Whether there was 
any formal appointment to that effect, is un- 
known. But it appears that he had the super- 
intendence and instruction of the youth who 
had been collected as the beginning of a Col- 
lege, for about a year, before the charter was 
obtained under which they received gradua- 
tion. It will be seen, among other things, by 
extracts from the minutes of the trustees, 
which will be given after noticing the history 
of Belcher's charter, that a class was in readi- 
ness to receive their Bachelor's degree, within 
a month after the time that charter took effect ; 
and that under that charter the degrees were 
conferred by Mr. Burr, on the very day on 
which he was elected President. Everything 
therefore, must have been previously prepared 
and arranged with a view to this event." Now 
to accommodate this difficult business of the 
first charter, it manifestly appears from an ex- 
amination of the history, and the silence of it, to 
be simply this: — That such a document w^as 
applied for, and obtained, almost immediately 
alter the ambitious and troubled administra- 
tion of Gov. Morris, is beyond all question, for 
in Lib. C. of Commissions, Charters, &c., fol. 
137 — the same book in which at page 196, 
the charter under Gov. Belcher is recorded, — ■ 
of ancient records in the office of Secretary 
of this State, is found the authentic me;72oraw- 
dum^ before spoken of, and which cannot 
from history bo referred to any other persons 
than those in the premises. And it is equally 
certain that there was something in the nature 
or circumstances of this charter which ren- 
dered it so dishonorable in their sio^ht that they 
maintained themselves in an attitude of cau- 
tious reserve towards it — that in the mean 
time they held themselves in abeyance, in 
strong and silent faith, proceeding with their 
preparations, until they should perceive some 
indication of a congenial moment of peace, in 
which to advance into a public consummation 
of their labor. And that when in the good pro- 
vidence of God, that moment did for a time ap- 
pear, in the genius and spirit of the great and 
excellent Belcher, whom He sent to them — 
they then came forward with all confidence 
in obedience to that call — and that having 
once obtained an incorporation, agreeable in 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



all respects to the greatness and piety of their 
own intentions, they not only cast off the pre- 
vious imbecile instrument which had been 
tendered to them, but were wilHng to efface 
every memory of both it from their hearts and 
records. 

As the name of Governor Belcher is so inti- 
mately connected with the history of this col- 
lege, it will not be out of place to preface an 
account of the charter which his liberality and 
influence obtained for it, with some notice of 
his life. 

" Jonathan Belcher, governor of Massachu- 
setts, and afterwards of New Jersey, was the 
son of the Honorable Andrew Belcher, of Cam- 
bridge, one of his Majesty's Council in the 
province of Massachusetts Bay, and was born 
about the year 1681. He was graduated at 
Harvard College, in 1699. Not long after 
the termination of his collegial course, he vis- 
ited Europe, and every opportunity was fur- 
nished him for the most liberal education. 
The acquaintance which he formed wiih the 
Princess Sophia and her son, afterwards 
George II. laid the foundation of his future 
honors. After his return he settled in Boston. 
He was chosen a member of Council, and hav- 
ing joined the popular side in the long contest 
which Massachusetts had with Gov. Burnet 
on the question of a permanent salary, he 
was sent as an agent of the Assembly to re- 
present the views to the king. After the death 
of Gov. Burnet, he was appointed by his ma- 
jesty to the government of Massachusetts and 
New Hampshire in 1730. In this station he 
continued eleven years. His style of living 
was elegant and splendid, and he was distin- 
guished for hospitality."* But with him, as 
in the case of some other leaders of democracy, 
the lavishness of his expenditure, though it 
was only to the ruin of his own fortune, ex- 
posed him to the censures and finally to the 
hatred of his own party ; and though he aban- 
doned none of his liberal principles, yet by his 
mistaken extravagance he affected an outward 
station that seemed to compromise them ; and 
the result was some disputes between him 
and his legislature, which occasioned his re- 
moval. It is said that his enemies being una- 
ble to find any tangible ground of complaint, 
were so inveterate and unjust as to resort to 
forgery. The whole dispute and the issue of 
it bear a strong resemblance to all those cases 



* Extracted from " Allen's Biographical Dictionary." 



in history where the generous minded leader 
of a dominant liberal party had become so ob- 
noxious to his friends on account of the cxtra- 
vajranc3, ezcited by his success, that they 
turned to be his enemies. And that kind of 
enmity is always the most violent, because it 
is always mixed with the exasperation of envy 
as well as that produced by the apparent dere- 
liction. On being superseded, he repaired to 
court, successfully vindicated his character, 
was restored to royal favor, and soon after re- 
ceived his commission as Governor, &c. (fcc. 
of the province of New Jersey.- He met the 
Assembly for the first time on the 20th of Au- 
gust, 1746. He died at Elizabethtouai, Aug. 
31, 1757, a,g:ed 76. His body was taken to 
Cambridge, Massachusetts, Avhere he was en- 
tombed. "His general character is matter of 
connuon history, and as it is seen in connexion 
with this college, of which he was the chief 
patron and benefactor, will be amiably appa- 
rent in the extracts which follow. The com- 
mission of Gov. Belcher is attested in two in- 
struments, one constituting him civil Governor, 
Sec, the other commander-in-chief, (fee; the 
originals of both of v/hich are in possession of 
the college. At this day, of course, they are 
interesting curiosities. 

The first entry in the Minutes of the Trus- 
tees is a copy of the charter. The general 
provisions of this instrument are too public to 
call for any repetiiion, and that the great aim 
of the petitioners was the mutual advancement 
of "sound doctrine" and sound learning is 
also too well known to need any further ex- 
tracts. The next entry is as follows : 

"On Thursday, 13th of October, 1748, convened at New 
Brunswick, — James Hude, Andrew Johnston, Thomas 
Leonard, Esqs.; — Messrs. John Pierson, Ebenezer Pember- 
ton, Joseph Lamb, William Tennent, Richard Treat, David 
Cowell, Aaron Burr, Timothy Jones, Thomas Arthur, Min- 
isters of the Gospel, — William P. Smith, Gent. [Those 
trustees, whose appointment is mentioned in the charter, 
not present at this meeting were — ' The Governor, who is 
ex. off. president of the board — John Reading, John Kinsey, 
Edward Shippen and William Smith, Esqs. — Peter V. B. 
Livingston, and Samuel Hazard, Gents. Gilbert Tennent, 
Samuel Blair and Jacob Green, Ministers of the Gospel.'] 
— thirteen of those nominated in the charier to be trustees 
of the college, who having accepted the charter, were quali- 
fied and incorporated according to the directions thereof; 
and being a quorum of the corporation, proceeded as the 
charter directs to choose a clerk. 

" Thomas Arthur, chosen Clerk of the Corporation. 

"Voted, That an address be made to the Governor, to think 
his Excellency, for the grant of the charter — and that at 
least one of our number be appointed to wait on his E.vcel- 
lency and present the same. 

" An address being drawn up by the Rev. Mr. Burr, was 
read and approved. 



6 



HISTORY OF THE 



*' Orderied, that the Rev. Mr. Cowell wait upon his Ex- 
cellency, and present the address to him. 

" Ordered, that a copy of the address be taken by the 
clerks and inserted in the minutes." 

That the style and temper of the men who 
undertook the estabhshment of the colleo^e 
may be understood in the most interesting 
manner, this address and the answer will be 
found inserted entire. 

" To his Excellency, Jonathan Belcher, Esq., Captain, 
General and Governor in chief, of the province of New Jersey, 
and territoiies thereon depending in America and Vice-Admi- 
ral of the same. 

" The humble address of the trustees of the college of New^ 
Jersey. 

*' May it please your Excellency — 

*'We have often adored that wise and gracious 
Providence, which has placed your Excellency in the chief 
seat of government in this province ; and have taken our part 
with multitudes in congratulating New Jersey upon that oc- 
casion. 

"Your long known, and well approved friendship to religion 
and learning, left us no room to doubt your doing all that lay 
in your pow^er to promole so valuable a cause in these parts ; 
and upon this head our most raised expectations have been 
abundantly answered. We do therefore cheerfully embrace 
this opportunity of paying our most sincere and grateful ac- 
knowledgments to your Excellency, for granting so ample 
and well contrived a Charter for erecting a seminary of 
learning in this pi evince, which has been so much wanted 
and so long desired. 



of heaven, was the beneficence of the advocates and friends 

of learning." (Pres. Finley.) 

This first meeting of the corporation ad- 
journed to meet at Newark. 

" On Wednesday November 9, [1748,] the trustees met, 
according to appointment, at Newark. 

The Governor and some gentlemen not previously quali- 
fied took the oath directed by the charter. 

*' The Rev. Mr. Lamb opened the session with prayer. 
*' The Rev. Mr. Aaron Burr was unanimously chosen to 
be the president of the college ; the vote of the trustees being 
made known to Mr. Burr he was pleased modestly to accept 
of the same, and took the oath required by the charter. 

" Agreed, that the commencement* for graduating the can- 
didates, that have been examined and approved for that 
purpose, go on this day. 

" It was accordingly opened this forenoon by the president 
with prayer, and public reading of the charter in the meeting 
house. 

" In the afternoon the president delivered a handsome and 
elegant Latin Oration. And after the customary scholastic 
disputations, the foHowing gentlemen were admitted to the 
degree of bachelor of arts, viz. Enos Ayres, Israel Read, 
Benjamin Chesnut, Richard Stockton, Hugh Henry, Daniel 
Shaw. 

" After which his excellency the Governor, was pleased to 
accept of a degree of master of arts : this was succeeded by 
a salutatory oration, pronounced by Mr. Shaw, and the whole 
concluded with prayer by the president. 

" Met this evening. A set of laws were presented &c. 
Voted [among other things] that the anniversary commence- 
ment, for the future, be held on the last Wednesday of Sep- 
that the next commencement be held at New 



" And as it has pleased your Excellency to intrust us with .tember, and 
so important a charge, it shall be our study and care to ap- I Brunswick, 
prove ourselves worthy the great confidence you have placed " That William Smith Esq 



in us, by doing our utmost to promote so noble a design 

" And since we have your Excellency with us in this im- 
portant and difficult undertaking, we shall engage in it with 
the more freedom and cheerfulness ; not doubting but by the 
smiles of Heaven under your protection, it may prove a flour- 
ishing seminary of piety and good literature; and continue 
not only a perpetual monument of honor to your name, above 
the victories and triumphs of renowned conquerors, but a last- 
ing foundation for the future prosperity of church and state. 

" That your Excellency may long live a blessing to this 
province, an ornament and support to our infant college; that 
you may see your generous designs for the public good take 
their desired effect, and at last receive a crown of glory that 
fadeth not away, — is and shall be our constant prayer. 
" By order of the trustees, 

" THOMAS ARTHUR, CI. Corp'n. 

« New Brunswick, Oct. 13, 1748. 

" To which his Excellency was pleased to return the fol- 
lowing answer : — 

" Gentlemen, 

" I have this day received by one of 3'our members, 
the Rev. Mr. Cowell, your kind and handsome address ; for 
which I heartily return you thanks ; and shall esteem my 
being placed at the head of this government, a still greater 
favor from God and the king, if it may at any time fall in my 
power as it is in my inclination, to promote the kingdom of 
the great Redeemer by taking the College of New Jersey un- 
der my countenance and protection as a seminary of true 
religion and good literature. J. BELCHER." 

" Thus were the trustees possessed of a naked charter, 
without any fund at all to accomplish the undertaking. This 
in the eyes of some gave it the appearance of an idle chi- 
merical project. Their only resource indeed under the smiles 



be appointed to draw up an 



account of the proceedings of the commencement and insert 
it in the New York Gazette. 

" That Messrs. Pierson, Cowell, Jones and Arthur be ap- 
pointed to make application to the General Assembly of this 
province now sitting at Perth Amboy, in order to get the 
countenance and assistance for the support of the college. 

" Voted that the following gentlemen be desired to take in 
subscriptions for the college. 

Messrs. Kinsey and Hazard, at Philadelphia. P. Van- 
brugh Livingston and P. Smith, New York. Read and 
Smith, at Burlington. Read and Cowell, Trenton. John 
Stevens, Amboy. Sam. WoodrufT, Elizabeth Town. Thos. 
Leonard and John Stockton, Esq., Princeton. James Hude, 
Esq. and Thos. Arthur, at New Brunswick. Henderson and 
Furman, Freehold. John Pierson, Woodbridge. Major 
Johnson, Newark. 

" That all the trustees shall use their utmost endeavors to 
obtain benefactions to the said college ; That this meeting be 
adjourned to the third Thursday m May next to be held at 
Maidenhead. 

"Mr. Tennant [Rev. William,] concluded with prayer." 

Tlie committee appointed to make apphca- 
tion to the Assembly afterwards reported their 
ill reception — and was sent back on successive 
occasions with more urgent representations, 
but still reported the same success. And even 



* That word simply denotes the time when stu» 
dents in colleges commence bachelors; and the same word 
without much extension of its meaning is very naturally ap- 
plied to the day and the public exercises of the day,when and 
whereby that event is celebrated. 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



a petition for a lottery was " absolutely rejec- 
ted." " Whatever was the influence of Gov. 
Belcher, or the popularity of President Burr, 
their united exertions could never prevail on 
the legislature of the province" [in which re- 
spect there are some strong points of resem- 
blance that seem not to have been altogether 
destroyed in the revolution which afterwards 
made them citizen representatives] " in which 
the college was founded, whose name it bore, 
and of which it was the greatest ornament, to 
show it patronao^e or favor of any kind. It is 
as grievous to the writer to record this want 
of liberality in a legislature of his native State, 
as it can be to any other inhabitant to read the 
record. But historical fidelity requires that 
the fact should not be suppressed. All the 
state-patronage which the college has ever re- 
ceived shall in its proper place, be faithfully 
stated. The writer has only to regret that the 
statement will so easily be made." (President 
Green.) •' After various solicitations in Ame- 
rica, the contributions, though often generous 
and worthy of acknowledgment, were found 
by no means adequate to the execution of so 
extensive a design. Therefore in the year 
1753 two gentlemen [the Rev. Gilbert Tennent 
of Philadelphia, and the Rev. Samuel Davies, 
then of Hanover, Va., afterwards President of 
the College] were sent as agents to Great Bri- 
tain and Ireland, to solicit additional benefac- 
tions. There the institution was honored be- 
yond the most sanguine expectations, with 
the approbation and liberality of several poli- 
tical and ecclesiastical bodies ; and of many 
private persons of the nobility and gentry, 
among the laity and clergy of various deno- 
minations." (Pres.Finley.) 

The second commencement was held at 
New Brunswick, Sept. 27, 1749, at which a 
class consisting of seven was graduated. With 
this exception, the public conferring of degrees 
at commencement, took place at Newark, until 
after that of 1756, when the college was re- 
moved to Princeton. " The students, in the 
mean time, lived dispersed in private lodgings 
in that town ; the public academical exercises 
being generally performed in the county court- 
house. The difficulties and danger of these 
circumstances, both with regard to the morals 
and literary improvement of the youth, could 
scarely have been encountered so long had it 
not been for the indefatigable industry and 
vigilance of Mr. President Burr. And it was 
much owing to his unremitted zeal and activ- 



ity, that this college so suddenly rose to such 
a flourishing condition." The following ex- 
tracts from the Trustee's minutes will set forth 
the circumstances of the location and erection 
of the present college edifice. 

"Ncwaik, Sept. 27th, 1752, 

*'His~excellency Governor Belcher was pleased to deliver 
in a speech to the board of trustees, together with certain 
proposals respecting the important interests of the college ; 
which being read, the trustees unanimously voted his excel- 
lency their hearty thanks, for his kind regard for the welfare 
of this infant Seminary ; thai his excellency's speech be 
drawn into the college books, and said proposals be taken 
under immediate consideration : 

" His excellency's speech was in the following words : 

"Gentlemen of the trustees of the'^college'of New Jersey. 
'Tis with much satisfaction that I meet you this day (being 
the anniversary of our commencement) hoping we are come 
together to act as with one heart and mind for the best es- 
tablishment of our infant college, which I trust, by the favor 
of AoiiGHTT God, will become a singular blessing in this 
and the neighboring provinces ; to the present and future 
generations. 

" In the mean time I think it our duty to exert ourselves 
in all reasonable ways and measures, that we may have 
wherewith to build a house for the accommodation of the stu- 
dents, and another for the president and his family: And it 
seems therefore necessary, that, without further dela}^ we 
agree upon the place where to set these buildings. By the 
smiles of Heaven upon this undertaking the students have 
become so numerous as that ' the bed is shorter than that a 
man can stretch himself upon it, and the covering narrower 
than that he can wrap himself in it.' Besides, the way and 
method we are in, as to the place and manner of instructing 
the youth, looks to me like lighting a candle and putting it 
under a bushel. I therefore hope you will closely apply 
yourselves so as to come to a conclusion in this material 
article. "J BELCHER." 

" The trustees, taking into consideration that the people of 
New Brunswick have not complied with the terms proposed 
to them for fixing the college in that place, by the time re- 
ferred to in the offer of this board ; now voted, that they are 
free from any obligation to fix the college at New Bruns- 
wick. 

The trustees agree that it should be put to vote, in what 
place the college shall be fixed, upon such conditions as this 
l)oard shall propose. 

" Voted that the college be fixed in Princeton ; [upon cer- 
tain conditions not interesting at this time.] 

"The trustees appoint Messrs. President Purr, Samuel 
Woodruff, Jonathan Sergeant, Elihu Spencer and Caleb 
Smith, to be a committee to transact the above said affair 
with the inhabitants of Princeton ; and that EHzabethtown 
be the place for accomplishing the same." 

On the twenty-fourth of January, 1753, 
the trustees met at Princeton. The commit- 
tee appointed to manage the affair with the 
Princeton people having exhibited their re- 
port, it was voted " that the said people have 
complied with the terms proposed to them for 
fixing the college in said place. '^ On the 22d 
July, 1754, the trustees again met at Prince- 
ton, and appointed Thomas Leonard and 
Samuel Woodruff, Esqs., with Rev. Messrs. 
Cowell, William Tennent, Burr, Treat, Brain- 



8 



hisYdry of the 



erd and Saiitb, to be a committee to act in be- 
half of the trustees, in building the college ac- 
cording to a plan that was agreed on at that 
meeting. The outlines of this plan were cug- 
gestcd by Mr. Shippen. The site of the 
building was selected by Messrs. Samuel 
Hazard c.nd Robert Smith. It \7as desi.^ned 
and executed by the latter gentleman, an ar- 
chitect of Philadelphia. At the time of its 
erection it was thought to be '^a noble building 
and to have made a handsome appearance.^' 
It had probably a better finish then than it 
has now — it certainly was, for many years, 
the largest single .building in our country, 
* 'and was esteemed to be the most convenient- 
ly planned for its purpose. ^^ In this lay the 
chief artistic m.erit it could claim — it has ac- 
quired its best ideality since, in its antiquity 
and associations. "It had an elegant hall oi 
genteel v/orkm^anship, 40 feet square, with a 
neatly finished front gallery. In it was placed 
a small, though exceediiig good organ, which 
was obtained by a voluntary subscription ; 
opposite to which and of the same height, was 
erected a stage, for the use of the students, in 
the public exhibitions. It was also orna- 
mented, on one side, with a portrait^of his late 
majesty (George II.) at full length — and on 
the other v/ith a like picture (and above it the 
family arms neatly carved and gilt) of his Ex- 
cellency Gov. Belcher. These were with a 
valuable collection of books and other things 
bequeathed by the latter to this college. The 
library, which was on the second floor, was a 
spacious room furnished with about 1200 vol- 
umes (in the time of Pres. Finley from whose 
account of the college this description is extract- 
ed,) all of which are the gifts of the patrons 
and friends of the institution both in Europe 
and America. There was on the lower story, 
a commodious dining hall, &c." All these 
ornaments of the " halF^ were destroyed by 
the British and American soldiery in the rev- 
olutionary war, and the whole interior edifice 
was destroyed by the fire of 1802. 

On the 24th September, 1755, the trustees 
met at Newark and voted an expression of 
thanks to Governor Belcher for the bequests, 
a part of which are noticed above, and pre- 
sented by President Burr and others in an 
address of which the following are some ex- 
tracts. " We do heartily congratulate your 
Excellency on the signal success with which 
heaven has crowned your generous efforts, for 
the advancement of the interests of this noble 



institution — an institution calculated to dis- 
perse the mists of ignorance and error — to cul- 
tivate the minds of the risinof generation, with 
the principles of knowledge and virtue — to 
promote the real glory and intrinsic happi- 
ness of society. The extensive recommenda- 
tions your Excellency was pleased to make in 
Great Britain of the college, and your counte- 
nance and encouragement oftered our late 
mission, to solicit the benevolence of the friends 
of learning abroad, demand at this time our 
most thankful acknowledgments. We rejoice 
with you. Sir, on the favourable event of that 
necessary and laudable undertaking. An event 
which hath so amply enabled us to erect a con- 
venient edifice." Theexact amountof the bene- 
factions here referred to cannot now be ascer- 
tained. It is known that the General Assembly 
of the Church of Scotland responded liberally to 
an application which the commissioners bore to 
them. This address to the Governor closes 
with a request, that "as the College of New Jer- 
sey views him in the light of its friend, patron 
and benefactor, and the impartial world would 
esteem it a respect deservedly due to the name 
of Belcher ; he would permit them to dig- 
nify the edifice with that endeared appella- 
tion." "And when your Excellency is trans- 
lated to a house 7iot made luith hands eternal 
in the heavens, let Belcher Hall proclaim 
your beneficent acts, for the advancement of 
Christianity, and the emolument of the arts 
and sciences, to the latest ages." Governor 
Belcher's answer in as far as it relates imme- 
diately to the present subject, is — " I desire, in 
the first place, to give praise and thanks to 
Almighty God, and under him to the many 
generous benefactors who have contributed to 
the encouragement and establishment of the 
College of New Jersey ; which affair I have, 
been pursuing, free from all sinister views 
and aims, as a thing I believe to be acceptable 
in the sight of God our Saviour. And when 
in God's best time, I must go the way whence 
I shall not return, I shall lay down my head 
in the grave, with the greater peace and com- 
fort, in that God has spared me to live to see 
the present flourishing state of the College ; 
for whose future welfare and prosperity I 
shall pray in some of my latest moments. 

" I take particular grateful notice of the re- 
spect and honor you are desirous of doing me 
and my family, in calling the edifice lately 
erected in Princeton by the name of Belcher 
Hall ; but you will be so good as to excuse me, 



COLLEGE OF NEV. JERSEY. 



while I absolutely decline such an honor, fori 
I have always been very fond of a motto of a! 
late great personage, Prodesse qiiam conspici. 
But I must not leave this head without asking | 
the favor of your naming the present buildinfr 
Nassau FLill : and this I hope you will take 
as a further instance of my real regard to the 
future interest and welfare of the College, as 
it will express the honor we retain, in this re- 
mote part of the globe, to the immortal memo- 
ry of the glorious King William the third, 
who was a branch of the illustrious house of 
Nassau. And God Almighty grant we may 
never want a sovereign from his loins to 
sway the Britsh sceptre in righteousness.'' 
It was accordingly ordered '* that the said 
edifice be, in all time to come, called and 
known as Nassau Hall." I 

A narrative has now been given of the' 
trembling and doubtful infancy of this Col-' 
lege. It has been given hi the words of those | 
who watched over it — not that such a method | 
of narrative is the most concise or least labo-; 
rious, but because it is most profitable ; and 
because however well a summary account 
might have declared the acts of these benevo- 
lent men, such an account could not have 
revealed their own purpose. As it is, only 
a partial impression can be produced of the 
honest excellence of their motives, or of their 
ceaseless vigilance and assiduity — a full con- 
ception of which, it is not possible to obtain, 
in any other way than by an examination 
into the minutes of the multiplied meetings 
of those gentlemen, by whose instrumentaliiy 
the College of New Jersey has readied a 
stable existence among the like institutions of 
our land, and a pre-eminence among the 
benefactors of our country. 

In the year 1756 the students to about the 
number of 70 removed from Newark ; the 
college edfiice being then so far completed 
as to be ready for their reception. The Pre- 
sident's mansion — the building now occupied 
by our present worthy President — was also 
nearly finished at the same time. Experi- 
ence soon taught the society the superior con- 
venience of their new circumstances. The 
numbers increased very fast. The country 
became more and more convinced of the im- 
portance of learning in general, and the utility 
of such a seat of education in particular ; 
both from the regularity of its administration, 
and the figure which several of its sons 
already made, in the various literary profes- 



sions. But it was not long before it suffered 
what was then looked upon as an almost 
irretrievable loss. For this same year, died, 
universally deplored, Mr. Pkesident Burr. 
Few men v/ere possessed, in an equal degree, 
of such an assemblage of talents. He seemed 
to be peculiarly formed for that important 
sphertf of action, which was assigned him in 
the latter part of his life. Tlie same year 
died, also, his Excellency, Governor Belcher. 

In conducting the instruction of the students 
the labor of teaching, at this tim.e, fell princi- 
pally on the President. He sometimes had 
but one tutor to assist hiiu, and never more 
than two while the college remained at New- 
ark. President Burr had also the charge of 
a grammar school, during the whole time he 
was in office, in which pupils were prepared 
for the classes in College. Tliis was considered 
a personal concern of the President, by whom 
the teachers in the school were employed. 
At the time of his death, the trustees took the 
grammar school under their care, as a part of 
the general establishment. It is thought to 
have been in the month of November when 
President Burr, in obedience to a vote of the 
trustees, passed on the 29th of September of 
the same year — the time of the last com- 
mencement held at Newark — " moved the 
College to Princeton." Mr. Burr did not 
live to preside at the commencement of 1757 
; — having died two days before it took place. 
I In the minutes of the annual meeting of the 
I trustees this year, is this entry : — "It having 
1 pleased God on the 24th of September, in- 
stant, to remove by death, the late reverend, 
j pious and learned Mr. Burr, the President of 
the College — the trustees do elect and appoint 
the Hon. William Smith, Esq., to preside at 
the present commencement ar.d confer the 
i degrees on the candidates ; and that tlie two 
I oldest ministers being trustees begin and con- 
i elude with prayer." 

No clergyman in the State of New Jersey 
was probably ever more beloved, respected 
and influential, than President Burr. To 
amazing talents for despatch of business, he 
joined a constancy of mind that commonly 
secured to him success. In the pulpit he 
shone with superior lustre. He was fluent, 
copious, sublime and persuasive. Plis inven- 
tion was exhaustless, and his elocution was 
equal to his ideas. He possessed an uncom- 
mon urbanity of temper, with a force of de- 
{ termination that was equal to any emergency 



10 



HISTORY OF THE 



to which he was called — the genial kindness 
of his heart and manner never failed to inte- 
rest those with whom he came in contact. 
His modesty and miobtriisiveness were con- 
sistent with his erudition. To the church of 
which he was a minister, and to the college 
of which he was president, the loss and regret 
which his death occasioned, cannot now b% easi- 
ly estimated. It is supposed that the disease of 
which he died was greatly aggravated, if not en- 
tirely produced, by the exertions which he made 
in a state of exhaustion and debility, to prepare 
and preach the funeral sermon of Governor 
Belcher. The shock which the College felt 
by the fall of these two pillars, on which it 
had seemed principally to lean, was feared at 
the time to threaten it with lasting injury, if 
not with entire prostration. 

Aaron Burr, the second President of this 
college, was born at Fairfield, Connecticut, 
in the year 1716. His ancestors for a number 
of generations, had lived in that Colony and 
were persons of great respectability. He 
descended, it is believed, from the Rev. Jona- 
than Burr of Dorchester. He was graduated 
at Yale College in 1735. In 1738 he was in- 
vited to take the pastoral charge of the Pres- 
byterian church, at Newark, and was or- 
dained as its pastor. Here he became so 
eminent as an able and learned divine, and 
an accomplished scholar, that in 1748 he was 
unanimously elected president of the college, 
as successor to Mr. Dickinson. Until the au- 
tumn of 1755, he discharged the duties both 
of president and pastor. At that time his 
pastoral relation to his people was dissolved ; 
and he devoted himself wholly to the service 
of the college. 

On the monument, placed over the grave of 
President Burr, in the burial ground of this 
town, by order of the college, is the following 
inscription, which is here inserted for the con- 
venience of scholars, together with a transla- 
tion of it, which has been procured for the 
information of such as doubtless would have 
been glad to read an inscription that has been 
so long in their midst, had it not been sealed 
up in a language which they may have had 
no opportunity to acquire. 

M. S. 

Keverendi admodum viri, 

AARONIS BURR, A. M., Collegii Neo-Caesariensis 

Praesidis, 

Natus apud FairJieId,Connecticutensiu}n,lY Januarii, 

A. D. MDCCXVI. S. V. 

Honesta in eadem Colonia Familia oriundus, 



Collegio Yalensi innutritus, 

. Novarcae Sacris initiatus, MDCCXXXVIII. 

Anrio circiter viginti pastorali Muuere 

Fideliter functus. 

Collegii N. C. Praesidium MDCCXLVIII accepit. 

l^NassovicB Aulam sub Finem MDCCLVI translatus. 

Defunclus in hoc vico XXIV Septembris, 

A. D. MDCCLVII. S. N. _ 

^tatis XLII. Eheu quam brevis ! 

Huic Marmori subjicitur, quod mori potuit ; 

Quod immortale, vendicarunt Coeli — 

Quaeris viator qualis quantusque fuit ? 

Perpaucis accipe. 

Vir corpore parvo ac tenui, 

Studiis, vigiliis, assiduisque laboribus, 

Macro. 

Sagacitate, Perspicacitate, Agilitate, 

Ac Solertia, (si fas dicere) 

Plusquam humana, pene 

Angelica. 

Anima ferme totus. 

Omnigena Literatura instructus, 

Theologia praestantior : 

Concionator volubilis, sua vis et suadus ; 

Orator facundus. 

Moribus facilis candidus et jucundus, 

Vita egregie liberalis ac benficus : 

Supra vero omnia emicuerunt 

Pietas ac Benevolentia. 

Sed ah ! quanta et quota Ingenii, 

Industriae, Prudentiae, Patientiae, 

Caeterarumque omnium virlutum 

Exemplaria. 

Marmoris Sepulchralis Angustia 

Reticebit. 

Multum desideratus, multum 

Dilectus, 

Humani generis Deliciae. 

! infandum sui Desederium, 

Gemit Ecclesia, plorat 

Academia : 

At Coelum plaudit, dura ille 

Ingreditur 

In Gaudium Domini 

Dulce loquentis, 

Euge bone et fidelis 

Serve ! 

Abi viator tuam respice finem 

SACRED TO THE MEMORY,— 

of a most venerable man 

AARON BURR, A. M., President of the College of 

New Jersey. 

He was born of a good familv at Fairfield Conn.., on 

the 4th of January, A. D. 1716, 0. S. 

He was educated at Yale College. 

Commenced his ministry at Newark, in 1738, 

He performed the pastoral office with fidelity about 

20 years. 
Accepted the Presidency of the College of New Jer- 
sey, in 1748. 
Being transferred to Nassau Hall at the close of 1756, 
he died in this village, on the 24th of September, 
A. D, 1757, N. S. 
Beneath this marble is laid, all of him that could die; 
His immortal part, Heaven has claimed — 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



11 



Do you ask, Stranger, what he was ? 

Hear in few words ; 

He was a man of a small and weak body, spare with 

study, watching and constant labors, — 
He had sagacity, penetration, quickness, and des- 
patch, (if it be lawful to say so) more than 
Human, almost Angelic. 
He was skilled in all kinds of Learning. 
In Theology he excelled, 
He was a fluent speaker, pleasing and persuasive. 
An accomplished Orator. 
In his manners, easy frank, and cheerful ; 
In his life remarkably liberal, and beneficent. 
His Piety and Benevolence outshined all other qual- 
ities. 
Ah, how numerous and how excellent, were his ex- 
amples of Genius, Industry, Prudence, 
Patience, and all other virtues, — 
The narrow sepulchral marble refuses to speak them, 
Greatly regretted, much beloved, he was the 
delight of human kind. 
0, the unspeakable regret, 
The Church groans. Learning Laments ; 
But Heaven applauds, while he 
enters into the joy of his Lord, and 
hears, well done good and faithful servant. 
Stranger, go and remember thy latter end. 

The tombstone at Mr. Burr's grave was pro- 
cured at the order of the board by Mr Robert 
Smith — it cost twenty pounds. The inscrip- 
tion upon it was prepared by the Hon.WilUam 
Smith, Esq., and revised by the Rev. Messrs 
Jacob Green and Caleb Smith. The funeral 
sermon of President Burr was prepared and 
published at the request of the board by the 
last named gentleman. He had ordered the 
manner of his burial to be as simple as possi- 
ble, and the amount of expense so saved to be 
distributed out of his estate to the poor. 

The precise time when the college was re- 
moved from Newark to Princeton is not cer- 
tainly known. It is supposed that all the 
necessary preparations were made immediate- 
ly after the commencement of 1756, — and that 
the first college session in this place opened in 
the month of November succeeding. By whom 
the original code of college laws was produced 
is not known. They had been somewhat 
amended to adapt them to the new circum- 
stances of the Institution beforehand, and were 
again soon after more fully revised by Messrs. 
Treat, W. Tennent and Spencer.* These 
laws contain the substance of the present reg- 



* The individuals who at different times composed the 
board of Trustees,the data of their accession, &c.,as well as the 
names and dates of the graduating classes, being accurately 
entered in the tri-ennial,catalogues,any particular reference to 
such date will be unnecessary in this summary account of the 
college history. It will render this narrative more interesting 
to consult those catalogues in connection with it. 



lations. In moral conduct, a strict observance 
of the Lord's day was especially insisted on — 
no student being permitted to have company, 
or to be unnecessarily absent from his room 
on that day or the evening previous. The tu- 
tors are enjoined to be frequently in the rooms 
to direct and encourage the students in their 
studies, and see that they be diligent about their 
proper business. The college worshipped in 
the Hall, at which occasion on the Sabbath, 
the people of the village united with them. 
The president was for some time the only pas- 
tor of the place. From the first, no intoxicat- 
ing liquors of any sort were to be admitted into 
the college building under severe penalties : a 
second repetition of such an offence, wrought 
a resource to the final discipline. There is 
nothing peculiar in these laws as compared 
with the present, except some different modes 
of discipline, and except tliat the students were 
required to wear an uniform dress, which cus- 
tom was soon after abolished. For venial of- 
fences the transgressor was usually mulcted in 
a pecuniary fine ; but not long after this time 
the officer was at liberty to substitute other 
punishment. For more serious violations of 
the laws the offender was generally subjected 
to a public reprimand and an open confession 
and promise of amendment, in cases which did 
not call for severer discipline. Each student 
upon entering college was required to trans- 
cribe the laws, which being signed by the 
President, was then delivered back to him to 
be preserved as the "testimony Gf4iis- fellow- 
ship, and the Rule of his behaviour." The 
President together with the tutors had discre- 
tionary power to establish new rules for the 
government of the college, the President being 
held accountable for the exercise of it. 

The salary of the President had not yet been 
rendered permanent. A yearly supply used 
to be voted for him at the annual meetings of 
the board. Perhaps this circumstance was 
owing as much to an extreme sensibility of 
the gentlemen of the board on the general 
question of a "permanent salary," which had 
distracted all the provincial governments in 
their turn for many years, as it was to the 
want of a permanent college fund. The year- 
ly supplies voted to President Burr had varied 
progressively from 150 to 250 pounds proc. 
The following resolutions passed by the trus- 
tees at the commencement meeting of 1757, 
will answer a purpose in the present connex- 
ion, and a further purpose of showing in what 



12 



HISTORY OF THE 



estimation the labors of the persons spoken of 
in them were held by the board. " The Trus- 
tees having- considered that the salary which 
the last year was voted the Rev. Mr. President 
Burr was considerably increased on account 
of his constant attention, great zeal, and inde- 
fatigable labors for the interest of the college ; 
and more especially for that the said President 
Purr for some years in the fore part of the ex- 
ecuting his said office, had done many and 
great services for the said college, for which 
he never had received any pecuniary conside- 
ration. And that any president who now or 
hereafter may be chosen cannot for the ser- 
vices of this office for some time deserve so 
well of this board : It is therefore ordered that 
the salary of the president for the time being 
shall be the sum of two hundred pounds pro- 
clamation money of this Province, during the 
ensuing year; together with the use of the 
President's house and the improved lands, 
with liberty of getting his firewood on the 
lands belonging to the corporation." 

"Voted, that the salary of each tutor here- 
after shall be the sum of fifty pounds per an- 
num ; and that this board in consideration of 
the extraordinary services of Mr. Tutor Sw- 
ing, will allow the sum of fifty pounds over 
and above the said salary." 

The college building was first ordered to be 
built of brick, without a basement story, and 
the President's house of wood. With the ex- 
ception of the hallj^library, steward's rooms, 
<fec. the..jjilBrbr'"was thrown into rooms for 
~tEe students. The general arrangrements of 
these chambers must have been similar to the 
present ones. There were enough of them to 
contain 147 residents, three in a room. In 
the entry were placed two large ladders, to 
provide in case of fire ; and from the ceiling 
of each room two "fire-buckets" were suspen- 
ded. Nothing more concerning the descrip- 
tive character of this ancient house, or the 
peculiar customs of the college at this pe- 
riod can be found, or they would be given. 
jFor such minutiog are not only interesting but 
have their use. " And every drop of " the 
early institution, ^'that can be, shall be collec- 
ted." An account of any single institution or 
undertaking which, from its antiquity or some 
.other influence, has acquired a personality of 
its own, ought always to be in the simple and 
particular language of biography, and not in 
the constrained diction of history. 

The class which graduated the year Presi- 



dent Burr died numbered twenty-two. This 
number had been reached from the six which 
went forth in 1748 by a gradual increase. 
The course of instruction was, of course, not 
so extensive, as it now is, but it was very ex- 
act and thorough. "None might be expected 
to be admitted into college but such as being 
examined by the President and tutors should 
be found able to render Virgil and Tully's ora- 
tions into English, and to turn English into 
true and grammatical Latin, and be so well 
acquainted with the Greek as to render any 
part of the four Evangelists in that language 
into Latin or English and give the grammati- 
cal construction." A successful passing thro' 
a public examination was necessary in order 
to obtain a degree. This condition was very 
rigidly enforced ; the public disputations and 
speeches of the commencement were consider- 
ed the least impoitant part of the proceedings. 

But by far the most interesting event which 
appears in the history of the college during the 
period under consideration is that of the first 
general revival of religion which the college 
has experienced. It commenced about six 
months before President Burr's death. An 
account of this revival is found in a letter of 
the Rev. Mr. (afterwards president) Davies to 
a religious friend in Great Britain, about four 
years after his mission thither in behalf of the 
college. It is dated " Hanover, June 3d, 1757;" 
and is as follows : 

" The best news, that perhaps Lever heard in my 
life, I lately received from my favourite friend Mr. 
Samuel Finley, minister of Nottingham in Pennsyl- 
vania, tutor of a large academy, and one of the trus- 
tees of the college of New Jersey. I had sent him 
some extracts from my British letters, giving an ac- 
count of the revival of religion in sundry parts of 
England, particularly among the clergy : in answer 
to which he writes thus : — 'April 16, 1757, I greatly 
rejoice that our Lord Jesus has put it in my power 
to make you a large compensation for the good news 
you sent me. God has done great things for us. — 
Our glorious Redeemer poured out his Holy Spirit 
upon the students of our college, not one of all who 
were present neglected ; and they w^ere in number 
sixty. The whole house, say my correspondents, was 
a Bochim, I^vlr. William Tennent, w^ho was on the 
spot, says, he never saw any in that case, w^ho had 
more clear view^s of God, them^selves and their defects, 
their impotence and misery, than they had in gener- 
al ; that there never was, he believes in any house, 
more genuine sorrow for sin and longing after Jesus : 
that this glorious work was gradual, and spread like 
the mcreasing light of the morning ; that it was not 
begun by the ordinary means of preaching, nor pro- 
moted by alarming methods ; yet so great was their 
distress, that he judged it improper to use any argu- 
ments of terror in public, lest some might sink under 



COLLEGE OF xNEW JERSEY. 



13 



the weight ; that what makest the gracious visitation [ 
more remarkable was, that a little before, some of j 
the youth had given a greater loose to their corrup- { 
tions, than was ordinary among them ; a spirit of 
pride and contention prevailing to the great grief, and | 
even discouragement of the worthy president : that ! 
there were no public outcries, but a decorous, silent , 
solemnity ; that before he came away several had | 
received something like the spirit of adoption ; being 
tenderly aftected with the sense of redeeming love, ; 
and thereby disposed and determined to endeavor ' 
after universal holiness.' | 

' Mr. Treat and Mr. G. Tennent tell me in theirs, \ 
that the concern appeared rational, solid and scrip- , 
tural ; and that in a remarkable degree. I was in- ! 
formed by some of the students Avho had been my j 
pupils, that this religious concern first began with ^ 
the son of a very considerable gentleman of New 
York. The youth was dangerously sick at college ; 
and on that occasion, awakened to a sense of his 
guilt. His discourses made some impression on a 
few others, and theirs again on more ; so that it be- 1 
came almost general before the good President, or ' 
any others, knew anything of it. As soon as it became : 
public, misrepresentations were spread abroad ; and j 
some gentleman sent to bring their sons home. But ' 
upon better information the most were sent back I 
again. The wicked companions of some young gen- 
tlemen left tio methods untried, to recover them to 
their former excess of riot, and with two or three 
have been lamentably successful. 

' Mr. Duffield (a worthy young minister) informed 
me the other day, that a very hopeful relia:ious con- 
cern spreads through the Jerseys, especially among 
yoimg people. In several letters from Philadelphia, 
from Mr. G-. Tennent and others, I have assurance of 
a revival there, for which good people are blessing 
God. Lawyer Stockton* informs me, that he is cer- 
tified by good authority, of a gracious work of God 
at Yale College in New Haven,' 

This, Sir, is some of the best news from one of the 
best of my correspondents. You will join with me 
in blessing God, and congratulating posterity, upon 
this happy, surprising revolution, in a college, to 



*"This gentleman, the father of the Hon. Richard 
Stockton, LL. D., deceased, was a member of the first 
class that was graduated in the college, the same 
day on which Mr. Burr was chosen President. He 
was, at this time, a trustee of the institution, active 
and influential in all its concerns. For several years 
he performed gratuitously, all the duties of the clerk 
of the board. He rose to great eminence in his pro- 
fession ; was a judge of the court under the royal 
government, and Chief Justice of the State of New 
Jersey, after the declaration of American Indepen- 
dence. Of the Congress which declared that Inde- 
pendence he was a member, and his name is inscribed 
in the imperishable roll that accompanies the instru- 
ment by which it was made known to the world. — 
Nor was it the least of his honors that he was ' not 
ashamed of the gospel of Christ ;' but was as the 
above article shows, a friend to revivals of religion. 
He publicly professed religion, adorned it by his life, 
and experienced its support and consolation in the 
hour of death." (Pres. Green.) 



which the eager eyes of so many needy churches look 
for supplies. Perhaps it may afford me the more 
pleasure, as my having taken so much pains to pro- 
mote that institution, gives me a kind of paternal 
solicitude for it, thougii I live near 400 miles from it. 
The finger of God is the more conspicuous in this 
aft'air, as the students, who had so often heard such 
excellent sermons from the worthy President, and 
from the many ministers from various parts, who 
occasionally officiated there, without any general 
good effects, should be universally awakened by 
means of a sick boy." 

From the death of President Burr to the 
accession of President Edwards, a period of 
nearly six months, the government of the col- 
lege was under the general supervision, first 
of the Rev. William Tennent, and afterwards 
of the Rev. David Cowell. The instruction 
of the students, dnring the same period, was 
almost wholly committed to the tutors; of 
whom there were three, and of these, John 
Ewing, afterwards the Rev. Dr. Ewing, for 
many years the distinguished Provost of the 
University of Pennsylvania, was the first in 
rank and in efficiency. 

In the mean time tlij? board of trustees were 
making exertions to procure the service of the 
Rev. Jonathan Edwards of Stock bridge, Mass. 
for the presidency of the college. The board 
which met to celebrate the commencement of 
1757, two days after President Burr's death, 
did not adjourn until they had agreed upon 
the selection of Mr. Edwards as his succes- 
sor. The address which communicated that 
resolution to him, and the request of the board 
that he would accept of the appointment was 
drawn up by Messrs. J^ivingston and Spen- 
cer. On the 14th day of December follov/ing, 
the trustees met to consider Mr. Edwards' 
answer. The letter which contains that, his 
first, answer is very remarkable. In it, he 
presents certain objections to his accepting the 
call of the board which grew out of the inci- 
dental circumstances of his situation at the 
time — but he especially reluctates to approach 
the important office tendered him from views 
of his own unfitness for the duties of it, and is 
astonished that gentlemen who knew him and 
his defects so well should have thought him 
competent for such an office. 

The trustees, of course, were too well aware 
of Mr. Edwards' certain greatness, to be any- 
otherwise influenced by this remarkable ex- 
hibition of his candor and humble-minded- 
ness, except as it had an effect to exalt their 
admiration of him and to lead them to make 
more strenuous exertions to secure his services 



14 



HISTORY OF THE 



for the college. 

The board, therefore, turned their immedi- 
ate attention to the other objections contained 
in Mr. Edwards' reply. Having requested a 
convocation of the Commissioners of the So- 
ciety in London, for propagating the gospel 
in the American colonies, in Massachusetts, 
under whom Mr. Edwards then held his pas- 
toral cure, at the Indian settlement of Stock- 
bridge in that state ; they sent Messrs. Caleb 
Smith and John Brainerd to attend the coun- 
cil convened in comphance with that request, 
and represent in behalf of the board of trus- 
tees the reasons for the propriety of Mr. Ed- 
wards' dismission from his connection with 
their Society. 

That mission was successful, as appears 
from an entry in the minutes of the IGth Feb- 
ruary 175S. "The Rev. Jonathan Edwards, 
at the repeated requests and invitations of this 
board, and agreeable to a vote passed at a 
meeting of the board in September last, at- 
tending, and having been pleased to accept 
the office of President of this college, so unan- 
imously voted him, was qualified as the Char- 
ter directs ; and the said President Edwards 
was at the same time quahfied as a trustee of 
the college and took his seat accordingly." 

On Wednesday the 1 9th day of April in the 
same year the trustees met again, and made 
a resolution of which this is the preamble : — 
" It having pleased God to remove by death, 
the late Rev Mr. Edwards, President of the 
college, a few weeks after he had taken on 
him the charge of the college." President Ed- 
wards died, on the 22d March, 1758. He ar- 
rived in this place in the latter part of Janua- 
ry. His death was occasioned by a fever 
which had set in while he was recovering, as it 
was supposed, from inoculation for the small- 
pox. The disease of which he was inoculated 
was prevalent in this region at that time. 

He said but very little in his sickness : but 
was an admirable instance of patience and re- 
signation to the last. Just at the close of life, 
as some persons, who stood by, expecting^ he 
would breathe his last in a few minutes, were 
lamenting his death not only as a great frown 
on the college, but as having a dark aspect on 
the interests of religion in general ; to their 
surprise, not imagining he heard, or ever would 
speak another word, he said, " Trust in God, 
and ye need not fear." These were his last 
words. What could have been more suitable 
jto the occasion ! and what need of more ! 



Although President Edwards had been con- 
nected with the college but two months and 
had been formally inaugurated but five weeks 
before his death, yet the college by the act of 
selecting this eminent man for its president 
acquired reputation, and President Edwards 
by cordially accepting that appointment has 
identified his own history with the history of 
the institution. 

While at this place, before his sickness he 
preached in the college hall sabbath after sab- 
bath to the great acceptance of the hearers. 
His first sermcxi here was on the " unchange- 
ableness of Christ ;" it may be found in the 
eighth volume of his works. Besides preach- 
ing regularly in the chapel he had not entered 
into any systematic labors of his office other 
than to' give out questions in divinity to the 
Senior Class, to be discussed before him. The 
instructions communicated by their president 
at those discussions impressed the class with 
such a view of his amazing erudition and ex- 
egetical acumen, that they ever after spoke of 
them with wonder: 

Mr. Edwards' reputation as a theologian, 
and a man of most comprehensive reason is 
well enough known, and in this aspect it is 
proper only for those to undertake to de- 
scribe him who are able to understand him. 
But there is another view in which President 
Edwards was a higher style of man than any 
greatness of mere intellect could have made 
him; a view in which the power of his un- 
derstanding applied to the education of his 
heart has made his influence complacent and 
accessible to all. The following extracts are 
introduced for the purpose of showing in the 
sunple words of ordinary observers, that this 
great man is one of the few men, who with 
all the natural irritability and the incessant 
valetudinary temperament of genius, had at- 
tained that grand point of steady faith and un- 
varying righteousness — that calm and equable 
sedatenessof piety and wisdom — which seems 
to approach to the description of that in man 
which is near to the limit of his human per- 
fection. 

The physician who attended him says that 
he had the uninterrupted use of his reason to 
the last, and died with perfect calmness and 
composure. " Never did any mortal man 
more fully and clearly evidence the sincerity 
of all his professions, by one continued, uni- 
versal, calm, cheerful resignation and patient 
submission to the divine will, through every 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



15 



stage of his disease, than he.'^ 

By another person President Edwards is 
described as " an eminent servant of God — a 
gentleman of heavenly temper of mind ; a 
most rational christian admired ;by all who 
knew him, for his uncommon catholic candor 
and benevolence — a pattern of temperance, 
meekness, patience and charity ; always 
steady, cahii and serene." The man who, 
with the intellect and genius of President Ed- 
wards has attained a character for virtue so 
exalted and so forcible that the commonest 
descriptions of him possess the genuine elo- 
quence of those above quoted, is one of the 
persons before whom his fellow men may 
stand as before a most excellent wonder of 
their race. 

The following is the inscription on the 
monument which covers the remains of Pres- 
ident Edwards, in the burial-ground of this 
town : — 

M. S. 

Reverendi admodura Viri, 

Jonathan Edwards, A. M. 

CoUegii Novse Csesarese Prsesidis. 

Natus apud Windsor Connecticutensium V. Octobris. 

A. D. MDCCIII, S. V. 

Patre Reverendo Timotheo Edwards oriundus, 

Colegio Yalensi educatus ; 

Apud Northampton Sacris initiatus, XV Februarii, 

MDCCXXVI— VII. 

Illinc dimissus XXII Junii, MDCCL, 

Et Munus Barbaros instituendi accepit. 

Prseses Aulas Nassovicse creatus XVI Februarii, 

MDCCLVIII. 

Defunctus in hoc Vico XXII Martii sequentis, S. N. 

^tatis LV, heu nimis brevis ! 

Hie jacet mortalis Pars. 

Qualis Persona quseris Viator ? 

Vir Corpore procero, sed gracili, 

Studiis intensissimis, Abstinentia, et Sedulitate, 

Attenuato. 

Ingenii Acumine, Judicio acri, et Prudentia, 

Secundus Nemini Mortal ium. 

Artium liberalium et Scientiarum Peritia insignis, 

Criticoruin sacrorum optimus, Theologus eximins, 

Ut vix alter sequalis ; Disputator candidus : 

Fidei Christianse Propugnator validus et invictus ; 

Concionator gravis, serius, discriminans ; 

Et, Deo favente, Successu 

Felicissimus. 

Pietate prseclarus, Moribus suis severus, 

Ast aliis sequus et benignus, 

Vixit dilectus, veneratus — 

Sed ah ! lugendus 

Moriebatur. 

Quantos Gemitus discedens ciebat! 

Heu Sapientia tanta ! heu Doctrina et Religio ! 

Amissum plorat Collegium, plorat et Ecclesia ; 

At, eo recepto, gaudet 

Caelum. 

Abi Viator, et pia sequere Vestigia. 



The author of the above inscription does 
not appear in the records ; the following is a 
translation of it : — 

Sacred to the memory 
of a most venerable man JONATHAN EDWARDS, A. M. 

President of the College of New Jersey. 
He was born at Windsor in Conn., on the 5th of October, 
A. D. 1703, O. S. 
His father was the Rev. Timothy Edwards. 
He was educated at Yale College, and commenced his min- 
istry at Northampton 15th of Feb. 1726-7. 
He was dismissed from that place, on the 22d of Juno 1750, 

and undertook the office of teaching the Savages. 
He was made President of Nassau Hall the 16th of Feb. 

17.58. 
Died in this village the 22d of March following, N. S., in 

the 55th year of his age. 
In person he was tall and slender, thin with intense study, 

abstinence and application. 
In the piercing subtlety of his genius, in judgment and Pru- 
dence he was second to none. 
He was distinguished by skill in the liberal Arts 
and Sciences ; the best of sacred critics ; 
An eminent Theologian, with scarcely an equal. 
A candid disputant: 
A strong and invincible defender of the Christian faith ; 
a Preacher impressive, serious, discriminating, 
and by the blessing of God, most successful. 

Eminent for piety, severe in his morals, 

but, just and considerate towards others. 

He lived beloved, revered. 

but oh ! he is to be mourned, dead; 

What lamentations, did his departure call forth ! 

Alas for so much wisdom, learning and religion ! 

The college bewails his loss, 

The church bewails him. 

Go, Stranger, and follow his pious steps. 

From the death of President Edwards to the 
accession of President Davies, who succeeded 
him, was an interval of a few days more than 
four months ; namely, from the 22d March, 
1758 to the 26th July, 1759. 

On Wednesday April 19th 1758, the trus- 
tees were called together. "After prayers par- 
ticularly on account" of the object of their con- 
vocation bein^ made, they elected Rev. James 
Lockwood of Weihersfield in the Colony of 
Connecticut to the office of President of the 
college. Mr. Lockwood declined accepting 
the appointment ; for what reason does not 
appear. But it may be 'inferred from the 
phraseoloo^y of the vote which carried his elec- 
tion, that it wanted more unanimity than he 
was willing to proceed upon in accepting the 
offer. 

On the sixteenth of August succeeding, the 
Presidency was offered to the Rev. Samuel 
Davies of Virginia, in the terms of a vote 
which declared him to be '' duly elected." 
This offer as thus presented Mr. Davies de- 
clined to acceptj probably for the same reasons 



HISTORY OF THE 



as those which influenced Mr. Lockwood. Or 
at least he may not hav^e considered the call 
sufficiently decisive to warrant him in sever- 
ing the important and interesting relations 
which he sustained to the people of his pasto- 
ral charge. The opinions of the hoard, at 
this time, on the choice of a president, had 
been divided among several candidates. At 
the time when the question was put, after the 
trustees had received Mr. J^avies' first reply, 
those candidales were reduced to two, and Mr. 
Davies was again chosen. In obedience to 
this call he came to Princeton, entered upon 
the presidency of the colleo:e, on the26th July, 
1759, and on the 26th September following, 
was inaugurated, and took the oaths of the 
office. The opposing candidate at the time of 
President E. Davies' final election was the 
Rev. Samuel Finley. A man in competition 
with whom, a majority must have been esteem- 
ed more honorable and more decisive, than an 
unanimous selection out of many less eminent 
candidates. 

In the absence of a slated presidency during 
the period under consideration, that office was 
temporarily administered for the first six 
months of that time by the Rev. Messrs. 
Samuel Finley and Caleb Smith. The latter 
gentleman probably presided at the commence- 
ment of 1758. 

On Wednesday the 22d of November, in the 
same year, the trustees, after having received 
the first reply of President Davies, anticipating 
difficulty in the selection of a president, and 
"considering that the formjer flourishing state of 
the college was greatly affected by its being so 
long destitute of a fixed president" — created a 
Vice Presidency of the. college, and appointed 
the Rev. Jacob Green to serve in the capacity 
of that office until a president should be chosen. 
Mr. Green accepting-, was accordingly at the 
same meeting, qualified. 

He executed the vicarious duties consequent 
upon his oflice in the absence of any princi- 
pal officer, from the time of his appointment 
until the arrival of President Davies — a peri- 
od of more than half a year. 

The trustees, who at different times, were 
temporarily chosen to act as presiding officers 
in the college, always preached to the students, 
and probably gave them some religious in- 
structions of a more private kind. Besides the 
observance of these duties, and the general ex- 
ercise and superintendance of the disciplinary 
functions of the office, Finley, Smith and 



Green, in their turns, were employed as teach- 
ers in language and science. 

The seiiior Tutor,upon whom fell the brunt 
of the actual laborofgivinginstruction and pre- 
serving order, in the absence of a stated presi- 
dent, was, at this time, Mr. Jeremiah Halsey; 
who is often spoken of, in the minutes, with 
approbation for his extraordinary services. 

Messrs. Caleb Smith, David Co well and 
Richard Stockton, were the committee of the 
trustees, who "managed theaffair ofMr. Davies' 
removal" to this place. 

The Rev. Messrs. John Brainerd, Caleb 
Smith and Elihu Spencer, had at this time 
been appointed by their Presbyteries, to attend 
the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, 
which bodies had been able, by the year pre- 
vious, to come together again into some kind 
of a rational and amicable ecclesiastical union. 
The gentlemen of this synodical commission, 
being members of the board, were further 
commissioned by the trustees of the college to 
negotiate, with that Synod, the matter of Mr. 
Davies' dismissal from his pastoral connexion. 
It is probably well known that from the union 
of these two Synods arose the present General 
Assembly of the PresbyterianChurch in theU.S. 
of America. It was to that united judicatory 
that the college was at this time accountable 
for the interest of a fund of £500 which had 
been formed by donations obtained in England 
and Scotland by Messrs. Tennent and Davies, 
at the same time that they were on their mission 
in behalf of the college, for the education of 
poor and pious youth for the gospel ministry. 
This fund was originally loaned to the college 
by the Synod of New York. 

The pecuniary condition of the Board upto 
the period of time under review, is somewhat 
pathetically apparent in a resolution of dismiss- 
al, for which one of the tutors applied, which 
says that "the trustees do with great reluctance 
part with the said applicant, and as a testimo- 
ny of their sense of his good conduct and mer- 
it do present him with the sum of ten pounds 
over and above his salary — and are sorry that 
the smallness of their Funds, Avill not permit 
of their mvinsf him a laro^er sum." 

The President's house was completed in Au- 
gust of the year '58. It cost 600 pounds, and 
a surplus which occasioned a difficulty with the 
contractor, that rendered necessary the inter- 
position of referees to determine the issue. 
The rooms in the college building were finished 
only as occasion called for them. The num- 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



17 



ber of Students since the death of President ( 
Burr, and in the general absence of any stated | 
head-officer, had considerably diminished. 

At one of the meetings of the Board in 1758, 
a petition was presented from the Freshman 
Class, asking for the dismission of a tutor on 
the ground of his not being sufficiently quali- 
fied for the business of instruction. The 
trustees considered the petition and dismissed 
the officer, not on the ground offered in the 
petition, but because the expected coming of 
the President, would render his services un- 
necessary. They then passed a law that "No ! 
Scholar or Scholars shall on any account \ 
present any petition or complaint to the Board | 
of Trustees, against any tutor or tutors, or' 
any other officer, until he or they shall first 
have acquainted the President and obtained his ) 
leave, and in case there is no president, they I 
shall obtain the permission of three trustees;! 
yet notwithstanding if the President, or when! 
there is no president, the three trustees to! 
whom they apply, shall refuse to give leave to 
bring in such complaints or petitions; the! 
scholars may present them to the board of I 
trustees, after they have given three months j 
notice, to the President, or in his absence, the j 
three trustees, and also to the tutor or tutors i 
against whom the complaint — or petition is." 

This is a pretty strong acknov/ledgment of 
the right of petition, — a right which necessari- 
ly implies the relation of constituents and an 
authority, to some degree at least, delegated 
by them, — in the case of a societjr, in which 
the dependence of the governors and the 
governed, involve none of the ideas of a civil 
or political association or compact ; and which 
never can be well governed, except upon those 
principles, of parental influence and solicitude 
which appertam to the true source of its au- 
thority. Those persons, who choose to place 
themselves under the influence of an incorpo- 
rated institution like a college, can never 
claim to have any separate existence of their 
own as an antagonist portion of the society, 
or as a constituent portion of it, except as they 
become coincident with and absorbed by the 
only one and undivided sovereignty that con- 
stitutes that society. The only resource of in- 
dividuals, in such cases, if they dislike the 
management of the corporation or its officers, 
if it does not of itself afford ihem the protection 
or advantage which it has promised, is to 
break their connexion with it. Otherwise, a 
spirit of importance and insubordination will 



be fostered, when a dependant object of care 
and authority thus comes to consider itself as 
having a constituent civil relation and com- 
munity with the only portion of the society 
that has all the civil existence of it — which 
must necessarily contraveiie and distort the 
purpose for which such an institution was es- 
tablished. 

In the latter part of the college period un- 
der review, there was also proposed to the 
consideration of the trustees "a plan of union 
among the several colleges in these Provinces, 
drawn up by Mr. President Clap of Yale col- 
lege in Connecticut, v.^hich being read was 
referred for fiirther consideration." It does 
not appear, however, that the subject was ever 
after resumed. 

At the meeting of the trustees held on 
Wednesday Aug. l(3th, 1758, His Excellency 
Francis Bernard Esq. Governor of the Prov- 
ince of New- Jersey, attended for the first time, 
and was qualified according to the charter and 
took his seat as President of the Board. 

PRESIDENT DAVIES' ADMINISTRATION. 

From July 26th, 1750, to Feb. 4th, 1761; A 
period of one 3^ear and six months. 

The first resolution that presents itself in 
the minutes of the meeting of September, '59, at 
which President Davies was qualified, after 
the despatching of some fiscal matters rela- 
ting to his removal, &,c., is one whereby the 
trustees relinquish again any property or 
control in the Grammar School that was con- 
nected with the college, and transfer the whole 
establishment and the profits of it to the Presi- 
dent. Ever since the death of President Burr 
this part of the college seems to have been a 
source of trouble and vexation, and it is prob- 
able that such a preparatory school could never 
have been kept under good order except by 
the uncommon business energy of such anex- 
I traordinary man and scholar as was President 
I Burr. And it is doubtful whether any super- 
intending officer [should in any case be able 
! to make such a separate subordinate under- 
I taking entirely work in with the general 
design of the principal College institu- 
tion. They are much better apart. For 
besides that the teacher and the professor are 
in many important respects distinct profes- 
sions — and that the ends of either cannot be 
well promoted without a division of the labor 
— there are many prudential reasons why a 
grammar school and a college should not only 

3 



18 



HISTORY OF THE 



be distinct institutions, but are better to be 
even in different places from each other. At 
any rate, in the present instance, this grammar 
school was soon afterwards abandoned. 

The next resokition of the Board at the 
same meeting-, appoints Governor Bernard, 
Messrs. Davies, Peartree Smith, W. Tennent, 
FinleyjGrcenjCummings and Stockton, or any 
three of them, to be a committee to draw up 
a system of regulations concerning admission 
into college, with the necessary qualifications 
for degrees. At a subsequent meeting this 
committee produced an elaborate and highly 
finished report, which contains the substance 
of the present regulations on those subjects. 
The peculiar points in it are, — that candidates 
for the second degree, if alumni of the college, 
should reside at college in ordinary cases, for 
one week before the conferring of the degree, 
and submit to the laws and orders of college; 
and be examined on such branches of litera- 
ture as the trustees present should think 
necessary, and make such preparations for 
commencement as the faculty should judsfe 
proper. That graduates from other colleges 
should be admitted ad eundem without ex- 
amination — and that if they were candidates 
for a higher degree than they had elsewhere 
received, they should, also, reside a week at 
college, and submit to examination. That 
any person might have liberty to offer himself. 
at the public examination, as a candidate for 
a bachelor's degree. That candidates for any 
class higher than the freshman, should not 
only be previously examined as usual, but re- 
cite for two weeks upon trial." 

One object in quoting the above resolution 
in this place, is to quote the names of the in- 
dividuals who compose the committee which, 
together with the names of Messrs. Brainard, 
Cowell, Shippen, Caleb Smith, Treat, Spencer 
and *Blair, are those which, up to this time 
gfenerally, have appeared most frequently at 
the meetings and most prominently in the 
minutes of the board. 

On the second day of this same meeting a 
targe committee was appointed to consider of 
proper measures to enlarge the fund and ex- 



* This was the Rev, Samuel Blair, a clergyman and 
Teacher of eminent reputation. It was under him that Presi- 
dent Davies prosecuted his preparatory studies — and it was 
of him, that President Davies, after his rieturn from Europe, 
upon being asked his opinion of British pulpit orators, said 
"there were none that excelled, and few that equalled his old 
instructor." 



tend the usefulness of the collegfe. This com- 
mittee met at Amboy on the 24th October suc- 
ceeding, but could come to no conclusion on 
the subject of the appointment that seemed 
feasible or likely to be very successful. The 
incessant difficulty under which the college 
was toiling from the beginning to this time and 
onward, cannot be easily made apparent, with 
the same impressiveness with which it strikes 
a reader of the minutes. The painful labour, 
of an Institution, conscious of the merit of its 
design, yet obliged to feel about in every direc- 
tion for pecuniary assistance, is manifest on 
every page. Almost every resolution savors of 
an abiding sense of poverty. And in the carry- 
ing out of their best purposes each syllable of 
the record is constrained to calculate the depth 
of the Treasury before it looks at the magnitude 
of its intention. Amongf other means the 
trustees applied for the use of lotteries, in or- 
der to procure funds. Such instruments are 
not esteemed very prudent now, but they were 
not thought noxious, then, or such men would 
not have made use of them. 

Another resolution found in the volumin- 
ous and important report of the same meeting, 
from which the above incidents have been ex- 
tracted, and which was continued, by adjourn- 
ments, through three successive days, is, — 
'' That for the future the President or tutors 
who shall at that time officiate, have liberty 
to appoint any of the students to read a portion 
of the sacred scriptures, out of the original 
language at evening prayers : and that when 
they think proper they may substitute psalmo- 
dy, instead of the reading of the Scriptures, at 
evening prayers." The practice which this vote 
originated, and which was long continued, 
consisted in translating from the original into 
the vernacular, only from the New-Testament. 
And notwithstanding the liberty given, the 
custom only applied to the officiating officer. 

Another resolution, is concerning the method 
of imposing pecuniary fines, which has already 
been spoken of ; whereby it is made optional 
with the officers of college to substitute other 
kinds of discipline. Pres't Finley says, of the 
law previously to its being thus amended, that 
" it would seem to be punishing parents for 
the oftences of their children," and apologises 
for its infliction by saying that it was seldom 
done and the fines were always small, and 
that under his Presidency, when he wrote, 
the law had never been resorted to. 

" Voted, that for the future the President 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



1^ 



and tutors, in conjunction with any other 
gentlemen of hberal education who shall 
choose to be present, do, between the examin- 
ation (of the graduating class) and public 
commencement, annually examine the several 
classes, and that such as are found unqualified 
shall not be allowed to rise in the usual 
course." President Green says that " Mr. 
Davies is believed to have suo^s^ested this regu- 
lation, which has been regarded from his time 
to the present, (1812) and with increased 
strictness. For a number of years past the 
whole college has been closely examined four 
limes a year. Degradation from a class^ how- 
ever, has seldom taken place, except at the 
end of a term or session. Nothing has more 
contributed to render education in this institu- 
tion efficient, than the strictness of examina- 
tions, and not suffering those to advance who 
have been found grossly deficient in the 
studies of the class to which they have be- 
longed, and of course the refusing of degrees 
to those who have not had some fair claim, 
from actual qualifications, to receive them." 

It is probable that the plan and principles 
upon which the college examinations have 
been conducted, were never so complete and 
impartial as at this time. The whole college 
by its classes, is now subjected to an annual, 
serai-annual and quarterly examination, by 
means of printed papers, — the course adopted 
by the European colleges, — and the only mode 
of testing the exact and full amount of under- 
standing of the subject of examination, which 
the student may have obtained. Besides these 
stated seasons of examination the classes un- 
dergo a weekly review, under the inspection 
of the respective oflicers of the classes. The 
entire system of teaching is, in accordance 
with the practice at examination, that of a de- 
liberate and minute analysis, the aim of which 
is to educate the man to an universal method, 
rather than to inform his memory with mere 
descriptive knowledge. 

"September 24th, 1760, Ordered, that 
Messrs. Davies, Wm. Tennent, Co well and 
Stockton, draw up an historical account of the 
rise, progress, and present state of the college. 
and print the same assofon as they convenient- 
ly can." The prosecution of the labor assigned 
to this committee was interrupted by the death 
of President Davies. It was not completed 
till the time of President Finley.^The pamph- 
let containing the history, (fee. of the college 
which President Finley published in 1764, in 



accordance with (he above order, has become 

so scarce, that a copy of it is not now to be 

found anywhere in the neighborhood of the 

' college. It is quoted by President Green. It 

was illustrated by a very well executed plate, 

exhibiting a view of the front of the college 

.edifice, the yard which lay before it, and a 

! part of the President's house.* 

I The College of New Jersey seems to have 

i been fated to have a large host of most emi- 

! nent men for its Presidents, to have them in 

'rapid succession, and to have them die. 

In the space of less than twenty years ap- 
pear Dickinson^ Bwt^ Edwards^ Davies, 
Fbdey^ — behold the array ! They tarry, in 
some instances almost literallj^, a few days, 
and disappear from the college and the world. 
It may with a most painful and lamentable 
emphasis be said to have been the custom of 
the Institution in those its days of glory and 
of sorrow. 

President Davies died on the 4th day of 
February, 1761, having remained in office but 
a few days more than eighteen months. He 
was a little more than thirty-six years old at 
the time of his decease. His life affords one 
of the most remarkable and interesting biogra- 
phies that can be found anywhere. And it is 
a great pity that the limits of the present com- 
pilation will not allow of anything more than 
a measure gleaning from the many important 
and radical facts that appear in the short, but 
extensive life and example of this remarkable 
man ; covering and giving character as they 
do in their bearing and influence upon it, to 
one of the most essential periods in the history 
I of our country, and of the church in this land. 
The influence which Mr. Davies, as a politi- 
cian and philanthropist alone, directly exerted 
over one of the most active and intelligent sec- 
tions of the country, during that important 
crisis of our national history, when those prin- 
ciples of government, under which, soon after, 
were declared those necessary and indispensa- 
ble facts of colonial society and civilization, 
that were the ostensible points of contest in 
the war of the American revolution, and which 



* It may be satisfactory to any boJy who may take an 
interest in knowing the kind of recreations which the colle- 
gians aflected in these times, to advert to an incident in the 
minutes about this date, which shows that the youths had 
turned the side of the President's house, into a ball-alley 
wall— even before the mortar had dried in it. They were 
prohibited under a penalty of 5s. proc. from playing any 
more against it. 






'^Vw 



20 



HISTORY OF THE 



have since been confirmed in the theory of the 
American RepnbHcj— the infinence of Mr. Da- 
vies in assisting to c<»ntrol and illustrate those 
principles while in their commencing forma- 
tion, ou,2:ht to estabhsh his claim to the cha- 
racter of a great and good man, in the view of 
aii such as look upon the result of the Ameri- 
can Revolution as a great and good announce- 
ment to the nations of the v/orld. 

It is not possible to tell how far the decisive 
action which was taken by the house of Bur- 
gesses of Virginia, at the time of the com- 
mencement of that revolution may have been 
affected by the influence which Mr. Davies' 
opinions and eloquence exerted in that colony. 
But it is well known that from the eleventh 
to the twenty-second year of his age, Patrick 
Henry heard the patriotic sermons which Mr. 
Davies had delivered during that time, and 
which were said to have produced effects as 
powerful as those ascribed to the orations of 
Demosthenes ; that he was an enthusiastic 
admirer of Mr. Davies and his opinions — and 
it has been said that it was Mr. Davies who 
first kindled the fire and afforded the model of 
Henry's elocution. But how much more wor- 
thy and imperative must have been the influ- 
ence of Mr. Davies, when to his enlarged pa- 
triotism and powerful eloquence he added the 
sincere and earnest piety of a most rational 
christian, and the superior eminence which his 
ministeral office gave him in that character. 
In his case, moreover, he possessed as a clergy- 
man the superior power which an abiding 
impression that he had been peculiarly called 
to that holy office was calculated to impart. 
For he always considered himself as devoted 
to the ministry from his birth. His mother 
supposed that there were some points con- 
nected with the time of his birth analogous to 
those connected with the birth of Samuel as 
narrated in Scripture. Hence his christened 
name. He liimself took the same view of the 
matter; under that view and the influence of 
it he felt and acted, and it would not be wise, 
in any aspect, to consider President Davies as 
a superstitious man. But whatever may have 
been the secret additional source of his extraor- 
(Jinary infliience as a holy minister, it is certain 
that as it regards the qualities of his style and 
eloquence there never was a greater pulpit 
orator produced in America. 

His popularity in Virginia was unbounded; 
so that he was inyited and urged to preach in 
almost all the settled portioiis of that colony. 



And it is said, that from the first time he deliv- 
ered a sermon, he seldom preached to a vacant 
congregation, anywhere, from whom he did 
not immediately receive a call. His eloquence 
was equally attractive in foreign countries. Af- 
ter his return from a visit to Britain, and while 
considering the call of the trustees, to the presi- 
dency of this college, he had also under con- 
sideration calls, which invited him to settle in 
the ministry in that kingdom. 

It was when Mr. Davies was in the twenty- 
fourth year of his age, that he was settled in 
Virginia. He took charge of a congregation 
having seven separate churches, the nearest 
distance between any two of them being twelve 
miles, and the distance between the extremes 
being forty. At this time Episcopacy, accord- 
ing to the order of the church of England, was 
the religion established and supported by law; 
and the " act of uniformity" was enforced with 
even greater rigor than in the mother coun- 
try. The " act of toleration" had been passed 
in England, expressly for the relief of protes- 
tant dissenters ; but it was made the subject of 
earnest controversy in Virginia, whether this 
latter act was intended to have any reference 
to the colonies. Blr. Davies maintained that 
it was as applicable to the colonies as to the 
mother country ; and that if the act of tolera- 
tion was not law in Virginia, the act of uni- 
formity was equally destitute of legal authority 
in the same colony. On this point he had a 
long controversy with the king's Attorney Gen- 
eral, Peyton Randolph, afterwards the Presi- 
dent of the first Continental Congress, and 
with the general court of the colony. On one 
occasion he appeared personally before the 
court, and replied in such a manner to the 
Attorney General, as to impress even his ene- 
mies with the highest admiration of his know- 
ledge, address and eloquence. At this time he 
had hardly passed the twenty-fourth year of 
his age. He maintained his cause inflexibly, 
till, when he went to England, to solicit bene- 
factions for the college, he brought the subject 
before the king and council ; and received 
from the Attorney General, Sir Dudley Hider, 
a declaration, under authority, that the provi- 
sions of the act of toleration did extend to the 
colony of Virginia. 

It has been already stated that in 1753, Mr. 
Davies accompanied the Rev. Gilbert Tennent 
of Philadelphia, on a mission to Great Britain, 
to solicit donations for the college. They em- 
barked on Saturday, November 17th, 1753. 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



21 



Two months previous to his departure on this 
mission, Mr. Davies attended the commence- 
ment of the college at Newark, when hedehv- 
ered a Thesis — Personates Distinctioiies in 
Trinitate sunt acternae — and vindicated it, 
in apubhc dispute, against three opponents; and 
afterwards received the degree of Master of 
Arts. 

As the voyage, upon which he then entered, 
is a proper part of the college history, a single 
extract taken from his journal, of the 19ih of 
November, is here given. It is characteristic, 
of the romantic and active genius and affec- 
tionate heart of the author. " We are now 
out of sight of land — Coehwi undiqne, uncli- 
que pontiis. It would be particularly ])leasing 
to me to see the wonders of the majestic ocean; 
but I have been confined to bed most of 
the day, and am so much out of my element, 
that I am neither fit for conversation, nor curi- 
ous observation. However, I feel calm within 
and resigned to the divine will — O Lord bless 
my dear family." 

He arrived at London on the 25th Decem- 
ber — prosecuted the object of his mission, with 
zeal and success — became acquainted with 
the leading characters in Britain — established 
his own reputation among them as a man of 
uncommon genius andincomparable eloquence, 
and returned to this country in the latter part 
of the year '54. 

When he hastened to his family and people 
in Virginia he found that colony in a state of 
universal alarm in consequence of hostile inva- 
sion by the French and Indians. There was even 
much talk of abandoning a part of the colony 
to the enemy. On the 10th July, 1755, Gen- 
eral Braddock sustained his remarkable defeat, 
and the remnant of his army was saved by 
the courage and skill of Colonel Washington, 
then only twenty-three years old. On the 20th 
of this month, Mr. Davies preached a sermon 
"on the defeat of Gen. Braddock going to Fort 
Du Quesne." In this sermon he calls on all 
his hearers, in the most impassioned and ani- 
mating strains, to show themselves men, Bri- 
tons and christians, and to make a noble stand 
for the blessings they enjoyed. The negroes 
had been tampered with by the enemy and it 
was expected that they would rise and join 
them. Davies' influence among the blacks 
was unbounded, and he swayed the insurrec- 
tionists into obedience and duty. In August 
of the same year, he delivered a sermon, in 
Hanover, to Capt. Overton's company of Inde- 



pendent volunteers, under the title of "Religion 
and Patriotism the constituents of a rood soN 
dier." It was m this sermon that he uttered 
the celebrated prediction concerning the youth 
I Washington, which, since its verification in 
[ the after example of that great man of humani- 
j ty as the selected instrument and as the em- 
j bodied declarer of that spirit and those princr- 
I pies which established the republican govern- 
I ment of America, has been so often quoted as 
a fulfilment almost of prophecy. ".As a re- 
markable instance of this," (that is, of the fact 
that God had been pleased to diffuse some 
sparks of martial fire through the country) " I 
may point out to the public, that heroic youth. 
Colonel Washington, whom I cannot but hope 
Providence has hitherto preserved in so sig- 
nal a manner, for some important service to 
his country J'' On another occasion he 
preached a sermon to the militia of Hanover 
county, at a general muster. May 8th, 1759, 
with a view to raise a company of volunteers, 
for Capt. Meredith. At the close of the dis- 
course a quota was immediately filled up, and 
the captain was obliged to refuse the names of 
many more that offered. The preacher re- 
paired from the muster ground to the tavern, 
to order his horse : and the whole regiment 
followed him, and pressed round him to catch 
every word that dropped from his lips. On ob- 
servinof their desire, he stood in the tavern 
porch, and again addressed them, till he was 
exhausted with speaking. 

The account of his separation from his 
people in Virginia, to enter upon the presi- 
dency of the College, is pathetic in the highest 
degree. Probably no man, in analogous cir- 
cumstances, ever went through a more diffi- 
cult contest, than he did in coming to a deter- 
mination to break his pastoral connexions, by 
accepting the call of the trustees. On one 
side were a people, so devoted, that if it had 
been possible they would have plucked out 
their own eyes and have given them to him, 
and who were clinging to him, and weeping 
at the least mention of the word that they 
should see his face no more — his own corres- 
ponding affection for them — and his sense of 
unfitness for the office by reason of his want 
of scientific attainments. On the other hand 
the reiterated applications of the trustees, and 
the repeated advice of councils called to de- 
Uberate for him, that it might be his duty to 
obey. He undoubtedly denied himself and 
obeyed. 



^2 



HISTORY OF THE 



His death has been attributed to his being , 
unskilfully bled. It was more probably pre- 
cipitated by his imremitting application to 
studv, and to the duties of his office. His 
previous situation had afforded little leisure, 
and comparatively few means for the cultiva- 
tion of general science. To qualify himself, in 
this respect for his new sphere of labour, his ap- 
plication to study was intense and unremitting. 
He rose by break of day and seldom retired 
to rest till midnight. His great application 
at this time was, however, only peculiar to 
him except in view of the momentary excess of 
it ; for notwithstanding the uncommon rapidity 
of his genius he was at all times a man of the 
closest application to study. He always 
dreaded to preach without careful preparation. 
He declared that "every discourse of his, 
which he thought worthy of the name of a 
sermon, cost him four day's hard study, in the 
preparation.'^ When pressed to preach ex- 
temporaneously, he used to reply — "It is a 
dreadful thing to talk nonsense in the name of 
the Lord.'' Towards the close of January 
1761, he was seized with a bad cold, for 
which he was bled. The same bay he trans- 
cribed for the press his sermon, on the death 
of king George the Second. The day folio w- 
sng he preached twice in the College chapel. 
The arm in which he had been bled — surely 
from a cause sufficiently obvious — became much 
inflamed, and his febrile disposition was much 
increased. On the morning of the succeeding 
Monday, he was seized while at breakfast, 
with violent chills succeeded by an inflamma- 
tory fever, which in ten days terminated his 
life. The violence of his disease mastered 
his reason, through most of his sickness. 

A few days before the beginning of the 
year in which Mr. Davies died, an intimate 
friend told him that a sermon would be ex- 
pected from him on New Year's day ; adding 
among other things, that President Burr, on 
the first day of the year in which he died, 
preached a sermon on Jer. xxviii. 16. " Thus 
saith the Lord, this year thou shalt die" — 
and that after his death the people remarked 
that it was peremptory. Mr. Davies replied, 
that " although it ough not to be viewed in 
that fight, yet it was rather remarkable." — 
When New- Year's day came, he preached, 
and to the surprise of the congregation, took 
the same text. When seized about three 
weeks after, by the fever which caused his 
death he adverted to the circumstance, and 



remarked that he had been undesignedly led 
to preach, as it were, his own funeral ser- 
mon. 

The relation between his mother and Presi- 
dent Davies, the child of her prayers and of her 
vows, was so extraordinary, that any record 
that contains the name of the son ought to 
contain the name of the parent. When it 
is remembered that there was a perfect im- 
derstanding between them in respect of the 
circumstances of his birth, their peculiar kind 
of interest and obedience towards each other, 
respectively, in addition to the most holy and 
beautiful affections of the ordinary natural 
relationship of parents and offsprings, may be 
imagined. She was a remarkable mother and 
he was a remarkable child. She was also 
naturally a woman of a great strength of cha- 
racter, which had been still further fortified 
by the strength and intelligence of her piety. 
When the corpse of her son was laid in the 
coffin, she stood over it, in the presence of a 
number of friends, for some minutes, viewing 
it attentively, and then said — "There is the 
son of my prayers and my hopes — my only 
son — my only earthly supporter. But there 
is the will of God, and I am satisfied !" 

The Inscription on the tomb-stone of Presi 
dent Davies, erected (as were all these sepul- 
chral monuments of the Presidents) by the 
college, together with a translation of the same 
are as follows — 

Sub Hoc Marmore sepulchrali 

Mortales Exuviae 

Reverendi perquara Viri, 

SAMUELIS DAVIES, A. M. 

CoUegii Nov-Csesariensis Praesidis, 

Futurum Domini Adventum praestolantur. 

Ne te, Viator, ut pauca de tanto 

Tamque dilecto Viro resciscas, 

Paulisper morari pigeat. 

Natus est in Comitatu de Newcastle, juxta Delaware, 

III Novembris, Anno Salutis reparatae, 

MDCCXXIV. S. V. 

Sacris ibidem initiatus, XIX Februaiii, 

MDCCXLVII, 

Tutelam pastoralera Ecclesiae 

In Comitatu de Hanover, Virginiensium, sueeepit. 

Ibi per XI plus minus Annos, 

Ministri evangelici Laboribus 

Indefesse, et favente Numine, auspicate peifunctus. 

Ad Munus Praesidiale Collegii Nov-Caesariensis gerendum 

Vocatus est, et inauguratus, XXVI Julii, 

MDCCLIX, S. N. 

Sed, proh Rerum inane ! intra Biennium, Febre correptus 

Candidam Animan Coelo reddidit, IV Februarii, MDCCLXI 

Heu quam exiguum Vitae Curnculum ! 

Corpore fail eximio ; Gestu liberali, placido, augusto. 

In genii Nitore, 

Morum Integritate, Munigcentia, Facilitate, 

Inter paucos illnstris. 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



23 



Rei literariae peritus ; Theologus protnptus, perspicax. 

In Rustris, per Eloquium blandum, mellitum, 

Vehemens simul, et perstringcns, nuUi secundus. 

Scriptor ornatus, sublimis, disertus. 

Prseserlim vero Pietate, 

Ardente in Deum Zelo et Religione spectandus. 

In tanti Viri, majora meriti, 

Memoriatn duraturam, 

Amici hoc qualecunbue monumentum 

Honoris ergo et Gratitudinis, posuere. 

Abi, Viator, ei semulave. 

Beneath this marble 

The mortal remains of a most venerable man, 

SAMUEL DA VIES A. M., 

President of the College of New Jersey, 

Await the coming of the Lord. 

Refuse not, Stranger, to pause awhile 

And learn a few things of so beloved a Man. 

He was born in the county of Newcastle, near the 

Delaware, on the 3d of Nov, in the year of 

our Redeemer, 1724, O. S. 

He was ordained in the same place, 1 9lh Feb. 1747. 

And undertook the pastoral charge of a congregation 

in the county of Hanover, Va. 

He there performed indefatigably and by the blessing 

of God successfully the labors of a gospel minister, 

for about 1 1 years. 

He was called to the presidential office of the College of 

New Jersey, and inaugurated, 26th of July, 1759, N. S. 

, But oh ! the emptiness of things ! 
Within 2 years, he was seized with fever and surrendered 
his unspotted soul to God, on the 4th of Feb, 1762. 
Alas ! how short his race. 
He was of a fine person, of a genteel, calm, and digni- 
fied carriage. 
In splendor of genius, Integrity, Generosity, Courtesy, 

He was not surpassed. 
He was versed in Literature, a ready and perspicacious 
Theologian — In the pulpit, by means of an eloquence, 
sweet, winning and at the same time vehement and con- 
trolling, he was seceond to none. 
An elegant, lofty and copious writer. 
But, in Piety, in ardent zeal for God, he was 
especially remarkable. 
To the lasting memory of such a man who merits 
greater things, friends have erected this 
humble monument. 
Go, Stranger, and emulate him. 

In the interval, of Pres. Davies' decease and 
Finley's coming into the presidency, the 
manao^ement of the coUeo^e was under the tu- 
tors ; who were eminently capable men, es- 
pecially W. Halsey, the senior in that office. 

The period of College history embraced under the ad- 
ministration of President Finley is from the \st 
June, 1761, to the IQth July^ 1766. 
The regular meeting of the board, which 
should have been in May, after Pres. Davies' 
death, not having collected a quorum, express 
messengers were sent to the absent members ; 
and on the first of June the trustees say — " It 
having pleased a sovereign God, since our last 
meeting to remove by death the late Reverend 
and ingenious Mr. Davies, President of the 
college, the trustees proceeded to the election 



of a President ; whereupon the Rev. Mr. Sam- 
uel Finley, of Nottingham in the Province of 
Pennsylvania, was unanimously chosen Presi- 
dent of the college, in the roomof theRev. Mr. 
Davies; and the Rev. Mr. Finley, being in- 
formed of the above election, was pleased 
modestly to accept of the same — Whereupon, 
Mr. Treat, one of the members of this board, 
is desired to attend the next meeting^ of the 
Presbytery to which the Rev. Mr. Finley be- 
longs, to request that he may be liberated from 
his present pastoral charge ." President Finley 
had been for the last ten years a trustee of the 
college, and was on the ground at this time. 
On tlie 30th September followinii:, he was du- 
ly inaugurated, qualified, and took his seat, in 
the absence of the provincial Governor, as 
chairman of the board. He had previously 
removed his family into the President's house, 
and entered on the active duties of his office, 
in July. 

President Finley was an Irishman by birth, 
and he may almost be said to have been a 
christian by the same right. His uncommon, 
sincere and determined o^odliness beofins to be 
apparent in his earliest words. He was one ofa 
family of seven sons, who all partook, more or 
less,of the same character; at the age of six years 
he made up his mind voluntarily to become a 
minister of the gospel, and from that time was 
distinguished for the closeness of his application 
— his uncommon accuracy and proficiency in 
acquiring knowledge — and the immovable 
honesty of his moral and religious principles. 
His parents were poor — he came to this coun- 
try in the 19th year of his age — made oppor- 
tunities for prosecuting the study of theology- 
and was ordained to the office of the Ministry, 
by the Presbytery of New-Brunswick, on the 
l'3th October, 1742. The first part of his 
ministry was employed in long and fatiguing 
itinerations, and the records of several of the 
churches which he visited contain eminent 
memorials of his diligence, fidelity and suc- 
cess. I should suppose, as far as an opinion 
may be drawn from the scanty materials at 
hand, that he was a gifted one, of that class of 
men. who, with the most substantial abilities, 
under the additional enlightenment and vigor 
ofa pure religion, and without the occasional 
departures which more shining geniuses are apt 
sometimes to be betrayed into, had come into a 
! settled belief of what is at all times and in all 
circumstances the more excellent way — and 
: who with a strength of philanthropy equal to 



24 



HISTORY OF THE 



their strength of faith determining to inculcate 
that doctrine of virtue upon the minds of their 
fellow men, have been gifted with a robustness 
of bodily constitution of the kind necessary to 
enable them to kibour out their benevolent in- 
tentions. Presidetit Finley was a coadjutor 
with Tennent, Whitfield and others, in the 
great revivals of these days, and his labors 
were remarkably successful at Darfield, Green- 
wich and Oape May, in this State. He was a 
man of small stature, and of a round and ruddy 
countenance. In the pulpit he was always 
solemn, sententious and sensible — and some- 
times iJ^lowing" with fervor. He was remarka- 
ble for sweetness of temper, politeness and gen- 
erosity. 

During his residence at Notting-ham he insti- 
tuted an academy, which acquired great repu- 
tation, and attracted students from distant parts. 
He was justly famed as a most accurate scholar, 
and had those true qualifications of a literary 
instructor, which probably he could only have 
brought with him from the aristocracy of the 
old world, and which even before his time had 
in these new colonies given way to less es- 
sential notions on the subject. 

Under his care the College flourished and 
acquired additional reputation, his own fame 
was rendered more extensive ; it elicited the 
attention and correspondence of the most emi- 
nent men in Britain, and in the year 1763 his 
character as a divine and scholar procured for 
him through the interposition of his friends in 
Scotland without his knowledge at the time, 
the Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the 
University of Glasgow. 

Unremitted attention to the duties of his 
station very sensibly affected Doctor Finley's 
health and procured a fixed obstruction in his 
liver which put a period to his life on the 17th 
day of July, 1766, in the 51st year of his age. 
He died at Philadelphia, whither he had 
gone for the purpose of obtaining medical ad- 
vice. His body was borne to the grave, in ac- 
cordance with his dying request, by eight 
members of the senior class. Perhaps between 
no governor or instructor and those under 
their care, was there ever a feeling of more 
amiable interest and regard than in the case 
of President Finley and his scholars. The 
heat of the day on which his funeral took place, 
was so great that the body could not be brought 
to Princeton, as had been directed, but was in- 
terred in the burying ground of the Second 
Presbyterian church of Philadelphia, next to 



the grave of the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, his 
once intimate friend and fellow laborer. 

But the incidents of President Finley's life, 
admirable as they were, seem to have been all 
swallowed up in the view of the remarkable 
circumstances of his holy death. That ac- 
count is so wonderful, so voluminous and so 
sacred, that as the whole is necessarily and 
reluctantly excluded from the present narra- 
tive, none of it can be extracted. A more ra- 
tional and glorious death-scene was never 
transacted on the earth, since the days of the 
Patriarchs. It had all the philosophy of So- 
crates, and in its measure, it had all the pious 
reality and fervor of Paul. 

At a meeting of the board on the 29th Sept. 
1762; his Excellency Governor Harden^ was 
pleased to attend for the first time, and was 
accordingly qualified by taking^ the oaths of 
the Charter. After his decease, Governor 
Franklin was qualified on the 28th Septem- 
ber, 1763. 

The pecuniary condition of the college dur- 
ing President Finley's time, although indiffer- 
ent still, was more promising than it had ever 
been. The salaries of the officers had been 
increased. That of the President, had been 
advanced from 200 to 400 pounds per annum, 
with the usual perquisites of the office, and the 
privilege of gratuitous education for his sons, 
a privilege that was given to all the presidents. 
This increase of the college funds v/as mainly 
owing to the use of three lotteries, already spo- 
ken of, which had been enacted for it by the 
legislatures of Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and 
finally of its own State. Some extracts, from 
the history of this institution, which President 
Finley wrote in the latter part of his life, will 
now be more interesting than any other account 
could be. 

" Though this institution has succeeded be- 
yond the expectation of its warmest friends, 
notwithstanding the severe shocks it received, 
by the death of t/ii^ee Presidents, in so quicb 
succession ; and its unsettled state, till the 
chair was filled ; yet it still labors under sev- 
eral deficiencies, which nothing but the benefi- 
cent hand of charity can relieve. With 
mathematical instruments, and an apparatus 
for experiments in Natural Philosophy, it is 
but very indifferently furnished. The library 
wants many of the most approved modern 
writers. It would be also of eminent service 
had it revenues ample enough to support pro- 
fessors in some of the distinct branches of liter- 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



^5 



atiire ; who might eaclf make a figure in his 
own province, could his studies and instruc- 
tions be confined to his pecuHar department. 
A professor of divinity, especially, forthetheo- 
iJogical students would be of singular utility. 
At present there are three tutors, besides the 
President. To these the college funds, can as 
yet, afibrd but scanty livings ; the tutors par- 
ticularly, unless they assume a vow of celiba- 
cy, are unable to continue in their ofiices for 
life. Hence it happens, that when a young 
gentleman has, by study and experience, tho- 
roughly qualified himself for the employment, 
he often resigns it ; and the trustees are then 
obliged to elect another, perhaps not equally 
fit for it. 

The fund, until within about a year past, 
hath not much exceeded jT^lSOO. But from a 
lottery which was generously set on foot by a 
number of gentlemen in Philadelphia, in favor 
of the institution, it was increased to nearly 
£2800, the net produce of the same, after 
necessary charges, and losses which usually 
happen, besides what was disbursed to pay ur- 
gent debts, being about £1500. Exclusive of 
the annual support of ofiicers, the expenses 
from other quarters are not inconsiderable ; 
nay do yearly increase, as the number of 
students increases. 

Indeed from the countenance of the General 
Assembly of this Province, in passing an Act 
for a lottery of £3000 for the benefit of this 
college, some good addition will probably be 
made to lis revenues. But the returns have 
not been made — much greater losses, than 



origin and present state of the college of New- 
Jersey : A College originally designed for the 
promotion of the general interests of Christi- 
anity, as well as the cultivation of human sci- 
ence. 

Upon the whole, it is presumed it must ap- 
pear manifest upon reflection, to every serious 
observer, that providence hath, in a peculiar 
manner superintended the affairs of this nur- 
sery, from its foundation to the present time. 
And indeed, it is esteemed by its directors 
their highest honor and happiness, that the 
Almighty hath vouchsafed so remarkably to 
countenance and succeed the undertaking, and 
thereby to encourage their humble expecta- 
tions of his continued benedictions. To the 
singular favor of heaven on the means of 
instruction here used, it must be gratefully as- 
cribed, that many youth, who have come to 
Nassau-Hall for education, without any just 
sense of the obligations either of natural or re- 
vealed religion, have been here efiectually re- 
formed, become men of solid and rational pi- 
ety, and now appear upon the stage of action, 
employing their talents to the honor of the 
Supreme Bestower, in promoting the good of 
mankind. Hence the managers of this semi- 
nary are emboldened to hope, that while the 
original design of this establishment is steadi- 
|ly pursued, the same indulgent providence 
which hath hitherto supported it, amidst the 
reproaches of envy, and the opposition of 
malice, will raise up benefactors to supply its 
deficiencies, and succeed their disinterested 
endeavours, to train up our youth in the paths 



might have been reasonably expected, have of piety and erudition, for the future service 
accrued therein. So that the managers have j of their country in any civil or ecclesiastical 
reason to think that on the close of their books employments.'^ 

the clear profits will not much exceed £2200. The history, from which the above extracts 
Such an accession can only enable the trus-i are taken, contains a very entertaining account 
tees to make some addition, perhaps, to the of the general order and government of the 
annual allowances of the college officers ; j college and of the particular habits and cus- 
tliough not such as will be sufficient to retain jtoms of the society. It used to be common 
themforlifcjin the character of professors,much for the President to go into the dining hall, 
less to maintain a greater number. Not long and eat with the students. They always 
since, a very generous legacy was ordered in seated themselves according to rank and seni- 
the will of the late Colonel Alford of Charles- ority. There were about a hundred coUegial 
town, in Massachusetts Bay: The sum de-' students at this time. The boys of the gram- 
signed for this college, is not yet precisely as- j mar school, in number about fifty, boarded, 
certained, that being left to the discretion of msotly, in the college, and ate in the dining 
his executors: It is presumed, however, from ! room at a table by themselves. 
good intelligence, that the appropriation' The whole matter of form and precedency, 
here will not be less in value than £500 , was strictly attended to in President Finley's 
sterling. time, and although it is not possible to resume 

Thus is exhibited a faithful account of the such regulations now, it is certainly a question 

4 



26 



HISTORY OF THE 



whether a great deal has not been lost in the 
decay of them. The custom, for mstance of 
an uniform dress certainly possesses some most 
important advantages, in the government of 
a college. But especially, in Jhese days, 
would it not be well for gentlemen to consider 
whether, at least, in abandoning the use of the 
gown, they may not have lost much more in 
the matter of that kind of influence, ideal or 
not, which a uniform robe of office gives to 
the individuals of an official representation, in 
rendering more pertinent and dignified their 
official unity , then they have gained, on the 
point of personal convenience ? A point that 
in a college of all other society, ought ahvays 
to be sacrificed to whatever is true decorum 
of any kind. 

In the absence of Dr. Finley at Philadelphia 
during the time that preceded his death, the 
college was placed under the supervision of 
Mr. W. Tennent. 

The law requiring the students all to come 
into the college building to board, except in 
case of ill health, certified by a physician, was 
here passed. 

A donation of one hundred pounds sterling 
was made to the trustees, by Mr. John Wil- 
liamson, of Hanover, Virginia, for the use of 
the college in supporting a divinuy professor. 
This is the first sum mentioned in the records 
as having been appropriated for the purpose 
of founding a professorship of Theology. The 
President of the college, till the establishment 
of the Theological Seminary in this place, had 
commonly the conducting of the theological 
studies of such graduates as chose to pursue 
these studies at college. A professor of theol- 
ogy, |however, the Rev. John Blair, was ap- 
pointed, about a year after the date of this do- 
nation and continued in office till the acces- 
sion of President Witherspoon ; at which time 
Mr. Blair resigned, and the professorship was 
formally conferred on Dr. Witherspoon in con- 
nexion with the Presidency. 

An English School was established in the 
college by Dr. Finley, in obedience to an order 
of the board. But it was soon after ordered 
to be taken away from thel college building. 

A piece of ground was given to the trustees 
of the Presbyterian congregation in this place, 
for the use of that congregation in erecting a 
church. The building was erected in 1762-63, 
the trustees lent the congregation £700, which 
was afterwards repaid. The inside of the 
church was destroyed at the same time the in- 



terior of the college was, by the soldiers of the 
British army in the revolution. It was entire- 
ly consumed, except the walls, by a fire which 
took place in 1813 ; It was rebuilt at the unit- 
ed expense of the congregation and the college;* 
the college retained an exclusive right to the 
church, (fee, at the time of commencement, and 
some others ; and also one half of the s^allery 
for the use of the students on the Sabbath. 
This rebuilt edifice was entirely destroyed by 
another fire, a few years since ; on the site of 
which, in a crosswise direction, the present 
chaste house has been erected. The college 
used to perform all public exercises of com- 
mencement (fcc, in the chapel. It retains the 
same rights to the use of the present church, 
as it did to the previous buildings, as far as 
they are here expressed. 

It was ordered that the Honorable Mr. Jus- 
tice Smith the Rev. Messrs. De Ronde and 
Roofers, be a committee for drawing up an ad- 
dress to his Majesty, on his late gracious con- 
descension to these colonies in the repeal of 
the stamp Act. This address was presented by 
Mr. Stockton. On his return he made the 
following report: — "Mr. Stockton acquainted 
the board that the papers which had been trans- 
mitted to him, while in England, by order of 
the trustees, came safe to his hands. That 
being introduced by one of the king's ministers, 
he had the honor, of presenting to his majesty 
the address of the trustees, on occasion of the 
repeal of the American Stamp Act, which was 
very graciously received." 

The des^rees of the year President Finley 
died were conferred by the Rev. Mr. Spencer. 
The customary graduation-fees, were voted 
to Tutor Halsey, in token of his faithful ser- 
vices. 

Mr. Halsey held the office of Tutor longer 
than any other individual. He was one of the 
best scholars that was ever educated in the 
institution. He was afterwards for a number 
of years, a trustee of the college. 

It may be well^ to notice, that about this 
time, some particular precautionary measures 
' were instituted to guard the college building 
against fire. For if a fire should now acquire 
head- way in these buildings, which, together 
with what they contain are infinitely more 
valuable at present that they ever were before, 
it certainly is not likely that any human, me- 
chanical, interposition should save them from 
utter destruction. The chances of fire in these 
buildings are also more probable than for- 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



27 



merly. 

In the year 1762 another general revival of 
relio;ion took place in the college. It began 
in the Freshman Class. The Rev. John 
Woodhull D. D. of Monmouth, deceased, who 
was a member of that class at the time, says 
"It was a pretty large class, containing be- 
tween 25 and 30 members. Almost as soon 
as the session commenced, this class met, once 
in the week, for prayer. One of the members 
became deeply impressed ; and this affected 
the whole Class. The other classes, and the 
whole college, soon became much impressed. 
Every class became a praying society ; and 
the whole college met once a week for prayer. 
There was, likewise, a private select societ^^ 
Societies (for prayer) were also held by the 
students, in the town and in the country. I 
suppose there was not one that belonged to the 
class that was not affected more or less. There 
were two members of the Senior Class who 
were considered as opposers of the good work, 
at first. Yet both these persons were after- 
wards preachers of the gospel. The work 
continued about one year." About one half of 
the whole number of students in college, then 
a little over a hundred, were believed to have 
been converted. 

The Cenotaph to the memory of Dr. Pinley, 
in the burial ground of this town, is inscribed 
as follows : 

Memorise Sacrum 

Reverendi Samuelis Finley, S. T. D. 

Collegii Neo-Caesariensis 

Prsesidis. 

Armachse in Hibernia natus, A. D. MDCCXXV. 

In Americam migravit, Aimo MDCCXXXIV. 

Sacris ordinibus initiatus est, Anno MDCCXLIII, 

apud Novum Brunsvicum 

Neo-Csesariensium. 

Ecclesise Nottingham!, Penasylvaniensium, 

Munus pastorale suscepit,XIVo Kal Jul.MDCCXLIV; 

Ibique, Academiae celeberrima; 

diu prasfuit. 

Dcsignatus Praeses Collegii Neo-Caesariensis, 

Oflicium inivit, id. Jul. MDCCLXI. 

Tandem, dilectus, vcneratus, 

Omnibus fiendus. 

Morti occubuit Philadelphiae, 

XVo Kal, Sextilis, A. D. MDCCLXVI. 

Artibus literisque excultus, 

Prae casteris proecipuc enituit 

Rerum divinarum scientia. 

Studio divinoc glorias flagrans, 

sUmmis opibus 

Ad veram Religionem promovendam, 

ct m concionibus, 

et in sermone familiar], 

Operam semper navabat. 

Patientia, modestia, mansuetudo 



miranda, 
animo moribusque enituerunt. 
Ob charitatem, observanliam, vigilantiam, 
erga juvenes fidei sUai mandatos 
fuit 
insignissimus ; 
Moribus ingenuis, pietate sincera, 
Vixit omnibus dilectus, 
Moriens triumphavit. 
This Inscription may be turned into Eng- 
lish thus : 

Sacred to the Memorv 

of the Rev. SAMUEL FIXI.EY, S. T. D. 

President of the College of New Jersey. 

He was born at Armagh, Ireland. 

A. D. 1715. 

Emigrated to America, in the year 1734. 

He was ordained in 1 743 at New Brunswick, N. J, 

He undertook the pastoral charge of a church at Nottingham, 

Pa., 19 th May 1744. 
And was for a long time master of a celebrated Academy 

in that place. 
Being appointed President of the College of New Jersey, he 

entered upon the ofhce 15th July, 1761. 

At last, beloved, respected and lamented, by all he died at 

Philadelphia the 18th of July, 1766. 

Skilled in Literature and the Arts, he outshone others, 

especially in knowledge of divine things. 

Burning with zeal for the glory of God. 

He employed all his resources, in promoting Religion, by 

conversation as well as preaching. 

Patience, Modesty and uncommon gentleness, shone in hh 

disposition and manners. 
He was remarkable for his kindness, attachment and watch- 

fulnesss towards the youths entrusted to him. 
Frank in his manners and sincere in his Piety he lived be- 
loved by all, and died triumphant. 



There is an interesting document among 
the archives of the college, in the hand writ- 
ing of President Finley, being a production 
of the nature of a Programm and Syllabus of 
the public exercises of commencement, as they 
were conducted under his administration. It 
was deposited by Dr. Ebenezer Finley deed., 
of Charlestown, S. C. 

The principal part of this curious paper, 
will now be quoted. It will close the history 
of the college down to the time of President 
Finley's decease. It is scarcely necessary to 
remark, that each exercise announced by the 
President, must be supposed to have been per- 
formed, before the attention of the audience 
was called to that which immediately follows. 

THE 
PROCESS OF THE 

PUBLIC COMMENCEMENT 

IN 

NA.SSAU-HALL ; 

SEPTEMBER, ' ' 

A. D. 1761. 



fi 



HISTORY OF THE 



THE PROCESS, &c. 

The trustees being at the President's house, the 
candidates standing at the door, two and two, upon 
his saying — 

Progredimini Juvenes, 

They walk — 

1. The Bachelor candidates. 

2. The Masters. 

3. The Tutors, and any Ministers present. 

4. The Trustees. 

5. The President — the Governor at his right hand, 
All seated — Prayer succeeds. 

Presses (capite tecto) — 
" Auditores docti ac benevoli Juvenes primam 
"Lauream ambientes, cupiunt vos per Oratorem sa- 
^^lutare ; quod illis^a vobis concessrum fidunt." 
Ascendat Orator salutatorius. 
* * * # * # 

Distribuantur Theses. 

# * # 

Quoniam, docti Auditores, accurata disputandi Ra- 
jio ad verum a falso secernendum plurimum valet, 
Juvenes artibus initiati, parvula qussdam eorum in 
ea Specimina, vobis jam sunt exhibituri. 

Prima Disputatio, syllogistice tractanda — 
Thesis est, 

Mentiri, ut vel Natio conservetur, baud fas est. 

Qui banc Thesin probare atque defendere statuit, 

ascendat. 

Foster. 

Qui Thesin oppugnari judicavit, ascendat. 

Primus Opponens — Lawrence. 

Quanquam concederetur Sermonem ad felicitatem 
hominum provehendam constitutum fuisse, attamen 
non asque nobis constat quid semper ad eum finem 
conducit ; sed magis credendum est Mendaciumnun- 
quam ad eum facere ; dum Exemplum Virtutis om- 
nibus prodesse potest. 

2 dus Opponens — Smith. 

Determinatio. 

Mentiri, quacunque de causa, ignobile et sua Na- 
tura pravum esse, res ipsa clamat, et ferme ab omni- 
bus, prsecipue Virtutem colentibus, conceditur. Quod 
SI omnino fas esse possit, Deus comprobat ; et si ille 
possit probare, non est uecessario verax ; sed impos- 
sibile est eum mentiri, ergo et mendacium probare. 

Nee ratio Veritatis ab hominum Felicitate, sed Dei 
Rectitudine pendet : ct quoniam sibi semper constare 
necesse est, non potest non esse rectus. Ergo faisum 
necessario improbat, ut ejus naturce oppositum : et 
j^etat Malum facere, ut quidvis Bonum inde sequatur, 
etiam ut Natio conservetur. 



The following is an English forensick Dispute, 
which for Reasons often mentioned, is introduced, 
viz — it entertains the English part of the Audience ; 
tends to the cultivation of our native Language, and 
has been agreeable on former occasions ; which I 
presume are s:ufficicnt apologies for continuing the 
custom, 



The Thesis is, 
Somnia non sunt universaliter inania, et nihil sig- 
nificantia. 

In English — 

All dreams are not useless and insignificant. 

Who undertakes the defence of this position ? — 

Miller. 

Whoever has any objections against what has 
been offered, let him speak — Tredwell. 

Who judges it fit to answer these objections? — 
McCrery. 

Determination. 
Although I see no necessity of accounting for all 
dreams from the Agency of other Spirits, any more 
than to interest them in the Reveries of the mind, 
when lost in mere imaginary Scenes while we are a- 
wake, without reflecting that they are not realities : 
Yet that foreign Spirits have access to ours, as well 
when we are asleep as awake, is inconsistent with 
no Principle of Reason. And if some dreams cannot 
otherwise be accounted for, than by having recourse 
to foreign Spirits, we must then admit their agency ; 
since there can be no effect Avithout a cause. And 
though it must be granted that our own Spirits at the 
same time think, yet there's no Inconsistency in sup- 
posing that other Spirits gave Occasion to their 
thinking of some Subjects rather than others, as is 
the Case in conversing together when we are a- 
v/ake. 

What has been Matter of fact is certainly still 
possible : And we know that in some Cases infinite 
Wisdom chose to employ Angels to communicate 
divine Instructions in Dreams ; which establishes the 
general Doctrine. And Experience assures us that 
Impressions made on these Occasions, are very deep 
and lively : and as has been observed, those very 
Dreams that come from fullness of Business, or other 
Causes mentioned, show us the Temper of our Minds, 
and in that View are useful and significant. 
# # # * # 

To unbend the Mind by an agreeable Variety, as 
far as may consist with the Exercises of the Day, an 
English intermediate Oration is next to be delivered. 

Ascendat Orator intermedins. 

# * * * * 

Thesis proxime discutienda, modo pene forensi, est, 
Lux Rationis sola, Incitamenta ad Virtutem satis 

efncacia, non prsebet. 

Qui banc Thesin primus defendere statuit, proce- 

da t — W oodhull . 

Qui primus opponit Thesi, procedat. 

Lawrence. 
Leake. 
Qui Objectioncs refellere, et Thesin firmare susci- 
pit, procedat, 

Determinatio. 
Recte notatum fuit, quod Naturam Peccati probe 
scire necessarium est, ad Virtutem rite sestimandum. 
Peccalo enim ignoto, odisse illud nequimus ; et sine 
Peccati odio, nulla datur Virtus. Et quoniam clarum 
est, quod homines. Luce Natures sola freti, ignora- 
runt quid sit virtus, et quales ejus Consequentiae in 
Scc'.ilo futuro ; ncscivcrunt Dcuin, veric Virtutis Ex' 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



29 



emplar, nee non Amorem et Satisfactionem Domini 
Salvatoris, quae sola sunt Incitamenta ad Yirtutem 
idonea ; Thesis Yalet. 

The next Thesis is, 

Nullam veram Virtutem habet, qui omnes non 
habet. 

In English — 

He has not one true virtue, who has not every one. 

Who undertakes to defend this position? — Tuttle. 

If any think fit to oppose it, let him appear — 
Hazard. 

Who judges he can confute these arguments let 
him speak — Clagget. 

Determination. 

That the Thesis is true, appears demonstrable 
both from the Simplicity of the Soul and the Nature 
of Virtue. As the Soul cannot be divided into any 
Parts, if one Vice is prevalent it possesses the Soul 
entirely, and the whole principle of action is vitiated. 
And as Virtue is a Disposition of Mind to whatever 
is morally good, and Goodness must be uniform, and 
of a piece, it can no more be dismembered than the 
Soul therefore whatever mixture of vice there may 
be with virtue, one of them must necessarily pre- 
dominate ; forseeing that they are perfectly opposite 
to each other, it is as impossible for a Person to be 
under the governmg power of both at once, as for 
Fire and Water to subsist together, without the one's 
being extinguished, or the other evaporated. 

Virtue consists in the Love of God and man, nor 
can it be separated : the Pretence is not tolerable, 
that a Hater of his Brother should be a Lover of God. 
Now 'tis certain that one cannot love and hate the 
same thing at the same Time, and in the same Res- 
pect. There must then be such a necessary Connex- 
ion of all virtues, that one cannot possibly be with- 
out all : consequently a single virtue, where any 
vice prevails, is but a counterfeit. 

Exercitia qux restant ad tertiam Horam P. M. post- 
ponuntur. 

The remaining exercises of the Day begin at three 
o'clock afternoon. 

* * # * * 

Orator hujus Classis valedictorius ascendat. 

Exercitia, quae a Candidatis secundi Gradus prae- 
standa sunt, jam sequuntur. 

Thesis disputanda haec est, scil : 

Jephtha Filiam non immolavit. 

Ascendat hujus Quaestionis Eespondens — Mr. 
Kerr. 

Ascendat primus quihanc Thesin veram esse ne- 
gat. 

Determinatio. 

Fatendum est, quod in hac Quaestione docti in 
Partes abeunt. Sed ut Theseos Veritas appareat, 
considerandum est quod fuit Jephthae Votum — ''Qui 
— vel, quodcunque — exierit e foribus Domus meae, in 
"Occursum meum, erit Domini, et, vel, ofieram illud 
in Holocaustum." q. d. vel aptum erit ad Sacri- 
ficium, vel non : si prius, erit in Holocaustum ; si non, 
erit Domino sacrum, devotum. Hebraeae Voces non 
aliter necessario significant: nam Vau saepe disjunc- 
tive sumitur, ut multis exemplis patet. Adde, quod 
Deus detestatusest humanas Victimas, et improbavit; 



quod cum Sacerdotes saltern norunt, non verisimile 
est Jephtham eos in tanta causa non consuluisse. 
Nee parvum habet momentum, Filiam ejus Spatiuni 
deflendi, non Mortem sed Virginitatem, petiisse ; cum 
enim dicitur Jephtha fecisse quod voverat, sequitur, 
et non cognoverat Virum. 



Descendant Candidaii Honores hujus CoUegii am- 
bientes. 

Ad Curatores. 

Juvenes, quos coram vobis, Curatores honorandiac 
reverendi, jam sisto, publico Examiiii, secundum hu- 
jus Academiae Leges, subjecii, habiti fuerunt omni- 
no digni qui Honoribus academicis exornarentur : 
Vobis igitur comprobantibus, illos ad Gradum peti- 
tum, toto Animo admittam. 

Eadem Auctoritate regia, virum Davidem McGre- 
gor, Novangliae, de Religione et Literis bene meri- 
tum, ad secundum in Artibus Gradum, Honoris causa, 
aamitto. 

Eadem Auctoritate, Reverenduml Nathan Kerr, 
Davidem Caldwell, Concionatorem Evangelii, neces- 
sario abseutera ; Reverendum Johannem Strain, 
hujus CoUegii alumnos; ad secundum in Artibus 
Gradum admitto. 

Hoc Anno etiam. 

Jacobus Thompson, A. M. Thomas Henderson, A. 
M. Johannes Lefferty, A. M. 

Forma constituendi A. B. 

Auctoritate, regioDiplomate mihi coUata, pro More 
Academiarum in Anglia, vos ad primum in artibus 
Gradum admitto ; vobisque hunc Librum trado, una 
cum Potestate in Artibus praelegendi jet docendi, 
quotiescunque ad hoe munus evoeati fueritis : Cujus, 
hoe Instrumentum, Sigillo nostri CoUegii ratum, tes- 
timonium sit. 

Forma constituendi A. M. 

Auctoritate, regio Diplomate mihi coUata, pro 
More Academiarum in Anglia, vos ad secundum in 
Artibus Gradum admitto ; vobisque hunc Librum 
trado, una cum potestate in Artibus praelegendi, 
publiceque profitendi ac docendi, quotiescunque ad 
hoc Munus evoeati fueritis : cujus, hoc Instrumentum, 
Sigillo nostri CoUegii ratum, Testimonium sit. 



In eonstituendo A. M. honorarios, inseratur haec 
Clausula, scil — "ad secundum in Artibus Gradum, 
Honoris Causa, admitto. 



Orator magistralis valedictorius. 
Rev. McGregor. 
Rev. Nathan Kerr. 

Dialogue. 
Prayer. 



After the death of Dr. P^inley, the college 
remained under the government of Mr. Ten- 
nent, for most of the time, till the commence- 
ment of *67, after which, the Rev. John Blair, 
who had been appointed to a professorship in 
divinity and morality, as has already been 
said, having arrived, was "qualified" for the of- 
fice of the Vice Presidency at the same time that 



so 



HISTORY OF THE 



he was inducted into his professorship. He, 
therefore, acted as president until the accession 

/, of Doctor Witherspoon, on the 17th August, 

^ 1768. 

To understand certain circumstances, con- 
nected with the history of the college at the 
time of Doctor Witherspoon's election to the 
presidency, and by which it seemed to have 
been a good deal agitated ; it will be neces- 
sary to know the following facts, which must 
be related very concisely, although they form 
an important part of the internal history of the 
institution, and contain an instructive lesson. 
It has been stated that this college grew, 
immediatelj^, out of the exertions of certain 
gentlemen who adhered to the Synod of New 
York, after the disunion between that Synod 
and the Synod of Philadelphia ; and that the 
schism which severed those ecclesiastical bod- 
ies, had been so far compromised, as to result 
in an apparent reunion. But it appears, that 
some characters in the Philadelphia portion, 
after having attempted something in the way 
of obloquy and reproach, now became ambi- 
tious of having a certain pre-eminence them- 
selves, in an institution which they had pre- 
viously found they could not destroy. At 
least such a phase their transactions in rela- 
tion to this matter, appear to assume at this 
time, and so they were probably esteemed then. 
However, a very respectable delegation, was 
sent by those gentlemen, to the trustees, the 
substance of whose offer of amicable union in 
respect of the conducting the college was, that 
if the trustees would give them the Institution 
and its reputation, they would in turn present 
the college with a President and faculty, and 
all at their own expense. The college had by 
jthis time acquired character and figure to have 
attracted attention not only in America, but 
across the waters. The whole negotiation 
was conducted by means of several coner^ n- 
ces between different delegations from those 
persons who were the applicants, and on the 
part of the trustees, by Messrs. Woodruff, Ten- 
nent, Spencer and Rodgers, and Messrs. Stock- 
ton, Ogden and Shippen, who were the com- 
mittees of the board at different times. It 
must be confessed that much excellent diplo- 
macy was shown on both sides. But the 
whole affair was happily a failure, because 
such elements as was proposed to be brought 
together, could never have harmonized, and 
between the two the college must have inevit- 
ably dissolved. The trustees, however, to 



conciliate matters, did proceed to institute and 
elect a faculty, such as the applicants pro- 
posed. But they were not satisfied, and their 
committee departed. 

In the mean time Dr. Witherspoon, whom 
the trustees had previously invited to the pres- 
idency, and who had once refused ; having 
been able to arrange certain fiimily affairs which 
in the first instance had prevented his accep- 
tance, signified his willingness to come. He, 
accordingly, arrived in the month of August, 
1768, and at a special meeting of the board 
called on the seventeenth of that month, he 
was inaugurated. 

Previously, however, to the hypothetical 
creation of a faculty, spoken of above, and af- 
ter the first reply of Dr. Witherspoon, declin- 
ing the office of the presidency "the trustees 
proceeded to the choice of a president to suc- 
ceed to the late reverend and worthy Dr. 
Finley, deceased. After the maturest deliber- 
ation, the Rev. Mr. Samuel Blair, of Boston, 
in New-England, was duly elected President 
of this college, and also Professor of Rhetorick 
and Metaphysics." 

*' At a meeting of the trustees, 9th Decem- 
ber, 1767. The Clerk certified that, pursuant 
to an order to him directed and signed by six 
of the trustees of this college, he had issued 
regular and timely notifications of the present 
meeting, to all the members. 

Mr. Smith communicated a letter from the 
Rev. Mr. Samuel Blair, to the Honorable Wil- 
liam Smith, Esq., President of the trustees at 
their last meeting, wherein the said Mr. Blair 
declines accepting the Presidentship of this 
college, to which he was chosen ; and the said 
office was accordingly declared to be vacant." 
It was then, that Dr. Witherspoon was re-elec- 
ted. The Rev. Samuel Blair, afterwards the 
Rev. Doctor Blair, who is recorded in this 
minute as having "declined accepting the 
Presidentship of the college," was the son of 
the Rev. Samuel Blair of Fog's Manor, here- 
tofore mentioned, and the nephew of the Rev. 
John Blair, A^ice-President and Professor of 
Divinity. He was graduated at Nassau-Hall 
in 1760 ; and afterwards served, for about a 
year, as tutor in the institution. He was at 
this time, settled in the ministry, in the town 
of Boston, as colleague with the venerable 
Doctor Joseph Sewall. 

Mr. Blair must have been under thirty yesLTs 
of age when he was chosen president. But at 
that time a jj-outh of higher promise was prob- 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



31 



ably not to be found in the American church. I droop and sicken, in view of the apparent 
As soon as Mr. Blair Iiad ascertained that a j impossibility of any reUef being able to retrieve 
re-election of Dr. Witherspoon would insure i it out of the extremity into which an unusual 



his service and influence in favor of the col 
lege, a voluntary and prompt tender of the 
resignation here recorded, prevented the em- 
barrassment in which the board of trustees 
might otherwise have been involved. Dr. 
Witherspoon was very gratefully affected by 



complication of calamities had driven it. A 
financial committee, reportingseveral years after 
this period, remark concerning the state of the 
college about the time when Doctor Witherspoon 
arrived, that "but for the timely assistance 
which vv^as received in consequence of his 



this act of generosity in his behalf, on the part coming, and the renewed enersfy and harmony, 
of Mr. Blair, and often spoke of it with admi- j thereby infused into the councils and action of 
ration. i the Board, the Institution must have inevita- 

It appears that there were two sorts of ob-jbly become bankrupt." And it is out of re- 
jections in the case of Dr. Witherspoon's ac-'spect to the call of that same committee, ad- 



cepting the invitation to the presidency, the 
one being the difficulties existing in his pri- 
vate affairs, which have been spoken of, and 
■which were soon obviated, when the other 
sources of his hesitancy in the matter had 
been explained and removed, through the in- 
terposition of Mr. Stockton, then in Europe. — 
This latter class of objections arose from false 
and prejudicial representations concerning the 
college, which had been communicated to him 
through the uncandid interference of the op- 
position party, whose efforts to obtain some 
control in the management of the institution, 
it was thought best to take some notice of 
above. 

The coming of Doctor Witherspoon to the 
head of the college, had an effect to revive 
the Institution throughout. The repeated 
shocks which it had received in its progress ; 
in the death of five presidents so rapidly suc- 
ceeding each other, the consequent want of 
stabihty and order in its internal government 
and conduct ; the repeated attacks of contu- 
melious and envious partisan foes, who doubt- 
less took it upon themselves, v/ith the usual 
presumption and dogmatism of censorious per- 
sons, to enter behind the desio^ns of these sin- 
gularly mournful providences, and pronounce 
upon them, in accordance with the interpreta- 
tion eagerly embraced by the reproachful and 
inhuman nature of their own feelings in re- 
ference to them; and the exhausted and hope- 
less condition of the treasury, always an ephe- 
meral department in the Establishment, that 
rose and sunk only in obedience to the tempo- 
rary will of the public ; the combination of 
these distresses and rebukes, appear very near- 
ly to have stranded the Institution about this 
time, and to have left it to dismember and gap 
and decay, upon a lukewarm region, where 
hope grew lisdess, and exertion began to 



vising gratitude, by the friends and alumni of 
the college towards the persons whose bene- 
factions saved it from the destruction which 
was threatened, and anticipated by some, that 
a more particular notice will be taken of the 
measures adopted by the trustees, and volun- 
tarily instituted by the friends of the college, 
at the present crisis, than might otherwise ap- 
pear necessary. It is to be remembered, in 
conceiving of this College, that it has arrived 
at its present state of prosperity and acquired 
the reputation of its past honorable distinction, 
entirely by the force of its own merits, what- 
ever they may be, or may have been esteemed. 
It is in every good sense of the word, a volun- 
tary establishment ; and having received from 
the state no other endowment than that of the 
corporate existence bestowed in its charter, it 
will be found, that by means ofsome influence 
or other, this noble concern has steadily moved 
on in the midst of poverty and fire and rob- 
bery, and has acquired, not only a reputation, 
but a character of its own, which is peculiarly 
grand, and of a kind that the hoariest antiqui- 
ty, the most magnificent buildings, or the most 
extensive instrumental facilities, could never 
have procured for it. 

It is proper for those who admire the strength 
and stability and order of this college to look 
back and contemplate the periods of agitation 
and gloom through the progress of which it 
has come to its present state. And, although 
it may not be well distinctly to call up such 
scores, yet it ought to be recollected that dur- 
ing the early portions of its history the institu- 
tion had not only to contend against poverty, 
but that, being considered by an opposition 
party as the Acropolis of an antagonist, it was 
for a long time a target and centre against 
which reproaches were incessantly thrown at 
the entire party, who were said to have pos- 



33 



HISTORY OF THE 



session of it. But, supposing it indeed to have 
been a partisan citadel in the first place, it 
has well turned out by this time, that that 
which used to be only a munition of warfare 
has come to be a strong rock of truth and edu- 
cation, and that Nassau-Hall if ever a fort, is 
now at least an Academy of science and, not 
an outward temple indeed, but yet a temple 
of Relii^ion, and Beauty and Art. 

A portion of a life of Doctor Witherspoon, 
v^^liich is found in the " Biography of the Sign- 
ers of tlie Declaration" relating to the present 
period of the college history, shows so intimate 
and correct a knowledge of that history that 
it may be properly quoted in this place. 

" One ot' the first benefits which the college 
received from the appointment of its new pre- 
sident, was the augmentation of its funds, 
which, from a variety of causes, were then in 
a low and declining condition. At that peri- 
od, it had never enjoyed any resources from 
the state ; but was entirely dependent on pri- 
vate liberality and zeal. The reputation of 
Dr. Witherspoon excited fresh generosity in 
the public, and his personal exertions, which 
extended from Massachusetts to Virginia, ra- 
pidly improved its finances, and placed them 
in a flourishing condition. It was, indeed, af- 
terwards prostrated by the revolutionary v/ar, 
which almost annihilated its resources ; but 
the friends of learning must recollect, with 
gratitude, how much that institution owed to 
his enterprise and talents. The principal ad- 
vantages, however, which it derived, were 
from his literature ; his mode of superinten- 
dency ; his example as a happy model of good 
writing ; and the tone and taste which he gave 
to the literary pursuits of the college. 

"The piety, erudition, knowledge of the 
world, and deep insight into human nature, 
possessed by Dr. Witherspoon, qualified him, 
in an eminent degree, for the station which he 
now filled ; and no man was more prompt and 
popular as presiding officer of a literary insti- 
tution. In addition to the benefits derived from 
his great reputation, by the accession of stu- 
dents, and the formation of funds, he endea- 
vored to establish the system of education in 
the college, upon the most extensive and re- 
spectable basis that its situation and finances 
would permit. The course of instruction had 
formerly been too limited ; and its metaphy- 
sics and philosophy were strongly tinctured 
with the dry and uninstructive forms of the 
schools. This, however, was not to be impu- 



ted as a defect, to those excellent men, who 
had previously presided over the institution ; 
it rather arose from the recent origin of the 
country, the imperfection of its social condi- 
tion, and the state of its literature. Mathema- 
tical science received, during his presidency, 
an extension that was before unknown in the 
college. He introduced into philosophy, all 
the most liberal and modern improvements of 
Europe; and extended the philosophical course, 
so as to embrace the general principles of poli- 
cy and public law. He incorporated with it, 
sound and rational metaphysics. He laid the 
foundation of a course of history ; and the 
principles of taste, and the rules of good wri- 
ting, were as happily explained by him, as they 
were exemplified in his manner. It is believ- 
ed that he was the first man who taught, in 
America, the substance of those doctrines of 
the philosophy of the mind, which Dr. Reid 
afterwards developed with so much success. 
He caused an important revolution in the sys- 
tem of education, whereby literary inquiries 
and improvements became more liberal, more 
extensive, and more profound. An admirable 
faculty for governing, and exciting the emula- 
tion of the youth committed to his care, con- 
tributed to the success of his various efforts to 
perfect the course of instruction. The great 
number of men of eminent talents, in the dif- 
ferent liberal professions, who received from 
him the elements of their education, is the best 
evidence of his services in the college. Under 
his auspices, a large proportion of the clergy 
of the Presbyterian church was formed ; and 
to his instructions, America owed many of her 
most distinguished patriots and legislators. — 
He introduced a system of public voluntary 
competitions among the students, in the vari- 
ous branches of study pursued in the college. 
One of these consisted in translating any given 
phrase of English into Latin, on the spot, and 
without previous preparation ; and in an ex- 
temporaneous exercise in writing Latin, for 
the completion of which a short specified time 
of a few minutes only were allowed : the com- 
petition in Greek was only in reading, trans- 
lating, and analysing the language. Thus, 
faithfully and perseveringly, he continued to 
guide the course of education in the institution 
over which he presided, until the revolution- 
ary war suspended his functions, and dispersed 
the college." 

From the meeting of the trustees called on 
the 9th December, 1767, which, as has been 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



33 



said, was summoned for the purpose ofreceiv-j 
ing Mr. Blair's declination, and of promoting 
Dr. Witherspoon's re-election to the presidency, 
until the breaking out of the war of the Revo- 
lution, a multitude of important measures and | 
resolutions were passed by the Board; from i 
which a selection, as adequate as maybe com-, 
patible with the limits of the present compi-i 
lation, will now be made. And in most in- 
stances, the selection will be transferred, in 
haec verba from the college records: because 
it has been found that the state of facts at 
present sought to be narrated, can be thereby 
accomplished in a more interesting, conspicu- 
ous and condensed manner that can be done 
by altering the language of the records and 
making use of the periphrasis of verbiage neces- 
sary to connect the facts in a cousecutive 
phraseology of narrative. The laws, and mo- 
tions quoted will explain themselves, and the 
state of things indicated by them may easily 
be inferred. These records, too, are frequent- 
ly of the authorship of some of the profbund- 
est and most accomplished legal gentlemen 
that oui' country has produced, who were 
members of the board, and are always of the 
authorship of some individual of a most vener- 
able body of men, of whom there was not one 
at the time, whose character and influence 
have not become a part of the public history 
of our country, and especially of the Revolu- 
tion, then at hand. 

The first attention of the Board of Trustees 
was directed to the improvement of the funds 
of the college, and to the better arrangements 
of the whole financial and fiscal department, 
which had been suffered to fall into a gross 
slate of disorder and confusion. 

By a report made at the commencement 
meeting of the board, held in 1767, it appears 
that the sum total in bonds, notes and other se- 
curities, in the possession of the college was 
2815 pounds proc. money, and that but 950 
pounds, or thereabouts, was under actual im- 
provement at interest. 

At the same time subscriptions were sent out 
to obtain support for the establishment of cer- 
tain professorships. 

The powers and authority of the respective 
and collective officers of this faculty are ascer- 
tained and established, and the President 
gives a casting vote. 

" Mr. Rodgers, pursuant to order, laid before 
the board a draught of a letter to the Reverend 
Synod of New York and Philadelphia, which 



was read and approved. Ordered that the same 
be transcribed and signed by the Clerk, and 
that Mr. Rodgers do present it at the next 
session of the said synod." 

This application to the synod was success- 
fid. A contribution was ordered to be made, 
in all the congregations under the care of the 
Synod, for the support of a Professor of Divin- 
ity in the College, to be annually applied by 
a vote of the Board. 

Mr. Wm. Tennent produced draughts of 
sundry laws for the better regulation and order 
of the college.'' Among other things the Pres- 
ident and officers are employed to examine 
the classes, in addition to the periodical exam- 
inations previously existing, at any time dur- 
ing the year according to their discretion ; and 
to degrade such students as should be found 
deficient. 

" And whereas it hath been customary in 
times past for some of the orators at the Pub- 
lic Examinations, and Commencements, held 
in this college, to be elected by the members 
of the class to which they belong ; Avhicli 
custom hath been found from frequent expe- 
rience to be injurious to the good order and 
government of the said college, particularly 
as it enervates the influence of the College 
officers, and tends to promote a spirit of faction 
and party among the students. It is therefore 
ordered that in all future times all the public 
orators, whether Latin or English, both at the 
Examinations and public Commencements, be 
nominated and appointed solely by the Presi- 
dent and officers of the college, or a major 
part of them ; and that the said custom of 
electing orators by the class be from hence- 
forth totally abolished." 

From the same laws it appears that the 
rooms, to some extent, were all furnished in 
common, by the trustees, the inmates are pro- 
hibited from altering the furniture, or ex- 
changing it, the rooms are numbered, and the 
articles in each chamber are imprinted with a 
corresponding mark, a law of "fixtures" is es- 
tablished, and an *' Inspector of rooms" is ap- 
pointed 

A new edition of the "Newark Grammar," 
with emendations, was ordered, to be prepared 
at the expense of the board. — The work was 
committed to Messrs. Caldwell, Reeve and 
Pemberton, masters of the Grammar School at 
Elizabeth Town. This grammar was of the 
Latin language, originally prepared by Presi- 
dent Burr, and was the standard for a long 



34 



HISTORY OF THE 



time in the college and throughout the coun- 
try. 

" Voted, that the practice of sending fresh- 
men upon errands, or emplojang them as ser- 
vitors, in any manner whatsoev^er, be from 
henceforward totally discontinued. 

THE COLLEGE UNDER PRESIDENT WITHER- 
SPOON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

On the 17th August, 1768, as has been al- 
ready cursorily stated, "The Rev. Dr. John 
Witherspoon, having arrived from North 
Britain, to preside at the head of this institu- 
tion, was duly qualified as the charter directs; 
and havino- taken the oaths of office as one of 
the trustees and President of this college took 
his seat accordingly." 

Dr. Witherspoon, before coming to this 
country, made a tour in behalf of the college, 
from Paisley to London and thence to Holland. 
" The president having informed the board 
that he hath brought over a considerable num- 
ber of books for the use of the college amount- 
ing to about 300 volumes, which were the 
gifts of sundry friends abroad, and that he 
soon expects another considerable benefaction 
in books, the trustees do most thankfully ac- 
cept the same, and request that the President 
will be pleased by letter in their name to ex- 
press to the several benefactors their grateful 
acknowledgments for these useful donations." 

" Whereas an order made by the trustees in 
the year 1751 respecting the introduction of 
Uniform Habits for the more decent and repu- 
table appearance of the officers and students 
of this college, hath never been fully carried 
into execution for want of a sufficient penalty 
to enforce the same ; Be it now ordained, that 
from and after the next Commencement vaca- 
tion, in this present year 1768, all the officers 
and students of Nassau-Hall shall appear uni- 
formly habited in proper Collegiate Black 
Gowns, and square caps, to be made in the 
manner and form of those now used in some 
of our neighbouring colleges, and properly 
uniform, excepting any proper distinctions 
that may be devised by the officers of college, 
to distinguish the habits of the President, 
Professors or Tutors, from those of the students, 
and it is hereby strictly ordained that no resi- 
dent student or under graduate subject to the 
jules and orders of college, shall at any time 
after the said next Commencement vacation 
appear either at Church, in the College Hall 
at prayers, or at any other collegiate exercises, 
or at any time abroad, without being clothed 



in their proper collegiate habits" — and far 
every violation of any of the provisions of this 
law a severe penalty is imposed. 

The above law was probably drawn up by 
Dr. Witherspoon. It was rigidly enforced 
and obeyed ; the benefit of it was felt; and, 
moreover, the want of that benefit is felt and 
is apparent now, in every collegiate society in 
our country. That "the state of modern so- 
ciety has come to be so very rational, as not 
only to have acquired an independence of all 
kinds of merely significant outward forms, 
sueh as, for instance, the use of the gown 
either as a robe of office generally, or as a sign 
of fellowship in a literary corporation, but 
even to have rendered such things ridiculous," 
is a consideration of no weight at all in oppo- 
sition to the real propriety of them, whatever 
weight it may have as an argument against 
the possibility of resuming them in the pres- 
ent state of things. Because, if it be true; if 
modern society has rendered nugatory and 
awkward the use and meaning of these kinds 
of instrumentalities, then modern society, just 
so far forth as thereby indicated, is itself vul- 
garity and falsehood. If there is any truth in 
the Imagination of man, and any certainty in 
the principles and^effects of Art — if it be true 
that a great portion of the ideas, and of the re- 
finement produced by them, which a civilized 
man has, in distinction from those of a savage, 
may be described as those which are created 
and conveyed by means of that whole panoply 
of circumstantial and figurative expressions 
and combinations, that make up civilized life, 
and which however purely fictitious they may 
be as constructive signs merely, the things in- 
dicated and promoted by them are not so-then 
it is certain that the circumstance of the gown 
ought to be one of the very last means to be 
forgotten in the conduct and government of 
a college. If there is nothing real and ef- 
fectual in a college gown, then there is noth- 
ing real in the official dignity and "circum- 
stance" of a college corporation ; for they 
are both of them equally fictitious creations, 
and are both, in some respects, precisely of the 
same nature. The gown is an important part 
of the means of education, and ought never to 
have been abandoned. The law, above quot- 
ed, was for a long time enforced to the letter. 
After Dr.Witherspoon's death, its rather ex- 
treme requisitions, such as that of wearing the 
dress upon all occasions, at recitations, in the 
town, and every where out of rooms, were 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



35 



probably somewhat remitted — but it is only' 
within a few years that students have been 
accustomed to appear in prayer-hall and chap- 
el shining in their secular dresses. But he 
that looks at the departures from decency and 
good order in the American colleges and court- 
rooms of the present day, can only have the 
satisfaction that arises from lamenting over 
them; for the case is desperate and there is no 
remedy. 

From a resolution passed at the anniversary 
meeting of the Board in September, 1768, it 
appears that a part of the business of the Di- 
vinity professor, used to be, to preach to the 
students. "Professor Blair, in consequence of 
his accepting an invitation from the people of 
Maidenhead and Kingston to preach to them 
on the sabbath, and in consideration of the 
trustees relinquishing his services as a preach- 
er to the trustees" foregoes a certain portion of 
his salary. 

April 5th 1769. Mr. Blair resigns his profes- 
sorship, and the trustees accept, on account of 
the insufficiency of funds for the support of his 
office. The duties of this professorship are 
then transferred to the office of the Presidency. 

'^Resolved for the same reason namely the 
want of funds, that a former vote of this board 
respecting a Faculty to be estabhshed in this 
college be wholly vacated and annulled." 

" Dr. Witherspoon acquainting the Board 
that from accounts received at Boston, near 
1000 pounds proc. hath been subscribed and 
part of the same remitted for the use of this 
college, the board request, that he would be 
pleased, by letters in their name, to return the 
thanks of the trustees of the college, to the 
several benefactors, who have so generously 
assisted the institution. 

The President moved that an extract of a 
letter to him from William Phillips Esq., of 
Boston, might be inserted in the minutes; the 
same was ordered to be inserted accordingly ; 
and is in the words following : — My two 
brothers have subscribed £100 each (Boston 
lawful) which with my subscription added, 
makes £300 or 1000 dollars, which mention, 
as we are desirous it may be applied to some 
particular use hereafter, provided the funds of 
the college may admit thereof, and you advise 
to such appropriation. Li that case it may 
be enlarged." It was enlarged, and paid in 
to the amount of £500. 

<* The Board considering the intimation in 
the above extract contained, desired the Presi- 



dent of the college to write to the said Mr. 
Phillips and refer the appropriation of the 
money subscribed by himself and brothers, to 
such use and purposes as he or they shall 
think fit to direct. • 

The Board being informed that the Rev. 
Mr. Caldwell of Elizabethtown had taken a 
journey to the Eastern part of Long Island, 
and had set on foot a subscription there, as 
well as at Elizabethtown, for the use of this 
college, Mr. Smith is desired to s^ive the said 
Mr. Caldwell the thanks of the trustees for his 
services and to request his endeavors to have 
the money collected when payable, and sent 
to him, and that he remit the same when re- 
ceived to the Treasurer of college, taking his 
receipt. 

The Board having been informed that some 
considerable benefactions might probably be 
obtained for this college upon personal appli- 
cation amono: the friends of learnino^ and re- 
ligion in South Carolina, and Dr. Rogers hav- 
ing, on request, signified his willingness to 
undertake the services, provided his congrega- 
tion would acquiesce in his absence from them 
for so long a time ; the trustees thought proper 
to appoint him and desired that if possible he 
would proceed to Charleston early in the next 
fall; and in the mean time they will endeavor 
by application to the synod of New York and 
Philadelpaia to obtain supplies for his church 
during his absence, and furnish him with 
letters and credentials for the said service." 

Subscriptions seem to have been set on foot 
at this time, by the friends of the college in 
every part of the country. The new impulse 
given to the institution by the coming and by 
the presence of Dr. Witherspoon is very man- 
ifest. 

In addition to the measures taken on this 
subject under the immediate direction and au- 
thority of the board of trustees, as above 
shown, an agent was commissioned a year 
after this time, to make a tour throughout the 
southern provinces generally, for the purpose 
of soliciting subscriptions. 

" The Board having received encourage- 
ment that some considerable benefactions 
might be obtained in the southern provinces 
for the use of this college upon proper personal 
application by some agent to be appointed and 
sent thither by this board, the Rev. Mr. Cald- 
well, now a member of the same, being ac- 
cordingly requested to undertake their service, 
was pleased to signify his acquiescence therein ; 



36 



HISTORY OF THE 



and also his intention to proceed onward di- 
rectly from Williamsburgh in Virginia, to 
which place he is now on his journey pursu- 
ant to an appointment of the synod of New 
York and Philadelphia. It is therefore re- 
solved that a commission be made out, with 
the seal of this colleofe thereunto affixed and 
signed by the Clerk in the name of the corpo- 
ration, constituting and appointing the said 
Mr. Caldwell their agent and attorney for the 
said purpose of soliciting and receiving dona- 
tions and subscriptions, for the benefit of this 
institution, in Maryland, Virginia, the two 
Carolinas, and Georgia, with the amplest pow- 
er for the better execution of the same. And 
it is also agreed that the said Mr. Caldwell's 
expenses on this service be defrayed out of the 
college funds, as also any expenses his church 
may be put to, on account of supplying his 
pulpit during his absence." 

These commissions were all of them more 
or less successful. But the exact amount of 
the respective returns into the college funds, 
cannot now be well ascertained, in conse- 
quence of the disorderly state into which the 
financial department had fallen, and in conse- 
quence of the loss of the records of a very im- 
portant meeting of the board held in April, 
1775, at which the state and management of 
the Treasury was the principal subject of ex- 
amination and discussion, and, which, if re- 
claimed, would probably furnish all the data 
necessary to ascertain the precise amount and 
proportions of the returns of the above men- 
tioned commissions. " The treasurer's ac- 
counts being called for, it appeared very ne- 
cessary that the state of the college funds should 
be more carefully examined and adjusted than 
could be done by the board during the present 
session ; they do therefore appoint Messrs. 
Smithj Livingston, Macwhortor, Boudinot and 
Caldwell, or any three of them a committee to 
meet at Princeton on the 15th of August next 
at 5 o'clock P. M., and as often afterwards as 
they may judge necessary, to examine, adjust 
and state the college funds and draw up apian 
for the conduct of the Treasury." As has 
been said the minutes of the meeting of April, 
1775, at which this committee presented their 
report, are missing. It fortunately happened, 
however, that a similar committee reporting 
in the year 1793, say that they accidentally 
met with some of the draughts made out by 
the aforesaid committee, from which it appears 
that from the year 1769 to the year 1774, the 



period covering that of the returns under con- 
sideration, the gross sum of £ 7769 pounds 
had been received into the Treasury. And 
the committee reporting the same say that 
" without that seasonable and providential aid 
your committee, are of opinion that this corpo- 
ration must ere this time have become totally 
bankrupt. For in 1769 before any of the do- 
nations (making up that sum) were received, 
the clear stock was, (including the charitable 
appropriation) about £3000, of which about 
£1800 only was upon interest, and now the 
whole stock but little exceeds £6000. The 
warmest returns of thankfulness are therefore 
due to the benefactors of this institution, as 
well as to those by whose spirited exertions 
those great benefactions have been promoted. 
And your committee in a very particular man- 
ner beg leave to recommend to every member 
of this board in future a constant attention to 
the state of the funds." 

September 27th, 1769. The trustees meet 
and attend the commencement — at which 
twenty are graduated, among whom was 
Governor Henry, of Maryland. John Han- 
cock, of Boston, was admitted ad eundem. 

The trustees, for the first time, pursuant to 
the powers granted them in his majesty's 
royal charter, Confer the degree of L. L. D. 
It was on John Dickinson and Joseph Gal- 
loway, Esquires, of Philadelphia, gentlemen 
of eminence in the literary world, and in their 
own peculiar professions. 

It has been remarked, that the effect of Dr. 
Witherspoon's coming into the presidency of 
the College, was to encourage the hearts and 
animate the exertions of the friends of the 
institution, in its behalf, throughout the coun- 
try. 

"The Board being informed that several 
of the friends of the College, have in different 
parts of the country set on foot subscriptions 
for benefactions to increase the the funds, do 
approve of, and greatfully acknowledge the 
measures taken by them for that purpose, and 
recommend the further encouragement and 
promotion of the like subscriptions." 

The manner in which this interest of the 
public in favor of the College, just after the 
darkest and most hopeless period of its early 
pecuniary history, reacted upon the boards, 
is now more and more apparent, in giving 
precision and harmony to their councils and 
decisive energy to their own exertions. The 
society is waking out of the cold lethargy of 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



37 



a sorrowful winter, and a festive commmo- 
tion and activity are manifest, in promoting 
and preparing for a time of greater hope. 

It was said in the commencement of the 
present compilation of the college history, 
that the reason why the Institution was not 
estabhshed in New Brunswick, was that the 
inhabitants of that place would not accede to 
the proposition of the Board made to them for 
that purpose, and that the people of Prince- 
ton being willing to enter into the conditions 
proposed by the trustees, the college was 
accordingly fixed in this place. The nature 
of that stipulation, as it respects the party 
of the people, will appear in the following re- 
port. "The committee appointed to setde 
the accounts of payments supposed to be 
made on the bond given by Thomas Leonard, 
John Stockton, and John Horner, Esquires, to 
the trustees of this college, in confirmation of 
founding the college at Princeton, brought in 
their report as follows. 

"Princeton, April 13th, 1769. Sederunt as 
a committee of the College of New Jersey, 
the Revds. Mr. Kirkpatrick and Witherspoon 
with powers to settle the account of the bond 
given by Thomas Leonard, John Stockton 
and John Horner, Esqs., to the said trustees 
for the sum of One Thousand pounds, dated | 
the 26th December, 1752, and having exam- 
ined the amounts of payments produced 
and compared them with the bond and en- 
dorsements, they do report — that the said 
bond to the trustees ought to be discharged 
and delivered up to the representatives of the 
said obligors." 

" Whereas it has been represented by the 
president, that some reparations have become 
necessary, about the college, Messrs. Wither- 
spoon, Stockton and Berrian, are appointed a 
committee to examine into the state of the 
buildings, and give such directions about re- 
pairs as they may judge necessary for their 
better preservation." 

At the annual meeting of the board, fol- 
lowing the date under review, this " Commit- 
tee for repairs of the College Buildings, report, 
that having consulted with several of the mem- 
bers of this board, and other friends of the 
College, since the last meeting, they were in- 
formed and advised that it was become expe- 
dient and necessary and would be agreeable 
to the public, that the court-yard of the college 
should be handsomely and well enclosed, with a 
substantial brick wall and paled fence on a 



] stone foundation, in front, which wpuld add to 
the beauty, convenience and reputation of the 
I college ; that they have accordingly ventured 
' upon the work (though not expressly em- 
powered in their appointment, to make new 
additions) confiding in the approbation of the 
board. That bringing the lower tier of rooms 
into repute, and rendering them habitable and 
useful, and the annual rents of the same being 
thereby consequently equal perhaps to the 
whole cost of the improvement, were the mo- 
tives with the said committee in directing the 
earth to be taken down near two feet in front, 
and the whole to be perfectly levelled away 
to the front wall. The board havimg consi- 
dered the above reasons offered by the commit- 
tee, were pleased to confirm their proceedings 
therein, though it might be deemed exceeding 
the powers vested in them (which all com- 
mittees are to be cautious of exceeding.) — 
And this board do now impower the said 
committee to proceed upon the said work on 
the plan begun, and they are requested to 
exert themselves in soliciting the assistance 
of the inhabitants of the town, in order to 
ease as much as possible the expense with 
which this work will be necessarily attended." 
The improvement about the lower tier of 
rooms, spoken of above, evidently refers to 
the sunk esplanade which now surrounds the 
building. How it is possible that these cham- 
bers, sepulchral enough at best, could ever 
have been habitable without some such con- 
trivance it is not clear to perceive. After this 
improvement, however, they were occupied 
as occasion called for them, until the erection 
of the East college building. It is probable, 
that the rooms underneath the chapel, and 
the entire basement of the central crossing of 
the old building, were the ones which used to 
be occupied by the steward, &c. And it does 
not require a very long memory for the soph- 
omores of much later days to turn a doubtful 
glance to the times when they used to be im- 
mured for recitation in those caverns. A gra- 
duate even of ^3S or '39, as he beholds now 
the beautiful, airy and appropriate arrange- 
ments of the present reformed recitation 
rooms, may claim the honor of a very hoary 
and paternal antiquity in reference to them, 
as compared with what he used to be accus- 
tomed to. Up to that time the present Soph- 
omore recitation-room, which used to be the 
Junior, was in all respects, as to light and alti- 
tude of ceiling, precisely analogous with the 



HISTORY OF THE 



corresponding room on the same floor of the 
building. The seats, however, were more 
substantial, being of the hardest oak, with 
rail-tops, attempted to be made thick and 
strong enough to resist iiiscrijjtioiis, which 
they did not however by any means accom- 
pUsh ; and uncouth and rough enough to be 
anything but comfortable. Indeed the rails 
and benches of that room ought to have been 
preserved. The seats were graduated vp- 
wards from tlie door, so that tlie person en- 
tering, and proceeding towards the back row, 
instead of coming into an increasing space, 
the ceihng at that point came into such inti- 
mate proximity with the floor that a very un- 
comforable sensation used to be felt in the 
top of the head and an unpleasant compres- 
sion all over. The present delightful conver- 
sion of that room has been made by lowering 
the floor, clearing the windows, and reversing 
the order of the graduation of the seats ; and 
between the present and the former style and 
finish of the seats, the stage and the pulpit, 
no comparison can be made at all. 
The same use may be made of the old philoso- 
phical hall, to explain the difference, or rather 
the superiority, of the present one, for they can- 
not be compared, but contrasted. Down to 
the same period of general reformation of the 
recitation rooms, in 1839,-40, the philosophi- 
cal-hall was rather more than half the size of 
the present one, with the same style of finish 
as that of the Junior room just described, with- 
out any good means of ventilation, the win- 
dows obscured by the bulwarks of the gallery 
abutting against them, and the atmosphere 
during lecture, so oppressive, at least just be- 
fore the time of alteration spoken of, from the 
crowded numbers in it, and the heat of the 
sun on the rooi^of it, that those members of 
the senior classes who attended at that time 
will remember it. The museum was also 
fitted up with a gallery for chemical lectures, 
and the two apartments which used to be oc- 
cupied by the Literary Societies, were turned 
into recitation rooms, with the same beautiful 
and convenient style of adaptation and finish. 
The Senior recitation-room proper, used to be 
the one immediately over the present Sopho- 
more, now thrown into the Library, and was 
by all means the best and most comfortable 
for its purpose in the whole establishment. 
But it was not equal in respect of its arrange- 
ment and style to any of those now existing. 
The brick wall and paling, spoken of in the 



above report, along the front, was on the site 
of the present iron railing. 

The most extensive improvements, however, 
that have ever at any one period been made 
about the college grounds, not referring to the 
alteration of the entire appearances of things 
by the erection of the new buildings, is that 
effected a few years ago by this iron railing, 
the levelling and laying out of the campus &c. 
These great improvements were all made 
about the time of the general reformation of 
the recitation rooms referred to. But the 
proper time to speak particularly of them will 
be in the order of their date. An accurate 
and authentic account of the public rooms of 
the old college building and the uses to which 
they were anciently put, will be wrought in 
with a general description of the present 
buildings and premises, to be given at the close 
of this compilation. 

At the meeting of the board, under conside- 
ration, the annual meeting of 1769, Mr. Piri- 
am " having resigned his tutorship in this col- 
lege, the trustees proceeded to the choice of 
another in his stead, when Mr. Jeremiah Hal- 
sey was unanimously elected as Professor of 
Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and it 
was resolved that a salary of ^6125 be allowed 
the said Mr. Halsey in case of his acceptance 
of said office." 

This is the first decisive attempt that was 
made by the board for the establishment of a 
faculty in science. It was not successful just 
at this time, but was carried into operation 
two years after. Mr. Halsey did not think 
proper to accept the call. He had been se- 
nior tutor for some time previous, and was at 
this time, or very soon after, a trustee in the 
college, and a settled pastor. The offer of 
the professorship by which he was elected to 
succeed the senior tutor, did not perhaps ap- 
pear to indicate the honor of the office so much 
as it referred to the additional duties of it. 
Mr. Houston, master of the grammar school, 
was next chosen to fill the place of Mr. Piri- 
am, and accepting, was qualified. In the year 
1771, it will be seen by the following quota- 
tion that Mr. Houston was promoted to a bona 
fide professorship in science, and that his was 
therefore the first scientific professorship es- 
tablished in the college. 

" Pursuant to a plan heretofore concerted, 
for the establishment of professorships in the 
various branches of learning in this college, as 
soon as the funds should be found to admit of 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



39 



their support ; the trustees now resumed the 
consideration of that measure ; and conceiv- 
ing it to be expedient that a mathematical 
professor, as most immediately requisite, be 
now chosen in place of one of the tutors, pro- 
ceeded to the election of a Professor of Mathe- 
matics and Natural Philosophy, when William 
Ch. Houston, M.A. now senior tutor in the 
college, was declared to be unanimously 
elected to that office. It was then resolved, 
that for the present, the annual salary of the 
said Mr. Houston, as Professor of mathema- 
tics and Natural Philosophy, be the sum of 
£125 proc, and that this board will hereafter 
provide for his better support, as their funds 
will admit, and the future situation of the said 
professor shall reasonably require ; as it is in- 
tended by this board that the said professor- 
ship shall be permanent in this college for the 
future.'^ 

" Sept. 29th, 8 o'clock A. M. met according 
to adjournment. 

" The Board taking into consideration the 
great want of a Philosophical apparatus for 
the use of the students in this college, in Natu- 
ral Philosophy, of which it has been long desti- 
tute ; It was now resolved that Dr. Wither- 
spoon, Mr. Brian, Dr. Shippen, Dr. Redman, 
Dr. Harris, Mr. Beattie and Mr. Caldwell, or 
any three of them be a committee to consult 
and determine upon such and so many of the 
instruments belonging to an apparatus, as may 
be judged by them to be the most necessary 
and immediately wanted. And the said com- 
mittee are empowered to send their orders to 
England for the same as soon as they con- 
veniently can ; provided the amount of the cost 
exceed not the sum of 3^250 sterhng." 

September 26th, ]770. " The trustees this 
day attended the annual commencement at 
the church in Princeton, when they were 
pleased to direct the admission of the follow- 
ing (22) candidates to their Bachelor's De- 
gree." 

This is the first formal mention of the com- 
mencement being held in the church, though 
as that building was completed a few years 
previous to this time, it could not have been 
the first occasion. 

" Mr. Caldwell reported, that pursuant to 
the request and appointment of this board, at 
their meeting in September last, and the pow- 
ers vested in him, he proceeded immediately 
after that meeting on his journey into the 
Southern Colonies, where he spent the last 



! winter in solicitins^ subscriptions and benefac- 
tions for the use of the collesfe. That he met 
with very good success in that business, and 
hath, in consequence, transmitted several con- 
siderable snms of money into the Treasury, 
but that he is as yet unprepared to ascertain 
the precise amount of the whole, thous^h he is 
confident it will, when paid in, amount at 
, least to the sum of £1000 proc. money, clear of 
all charges. 

The Board received this report with great 
! satisfaction, and returned Mr. Caldwell their 
thanks for his generous and assiduous services, 
in prosecution of his commission. 

Mr. Caldwell havino^ represented, that the 
subscriptions which he obtained and which he 
i expected would be made in Geors^ia, could not 
, be paid in, but in the produce of the country ; 
that it would therefore be absolutely necessa- 
ry to charter souie vessel to proceed thither, in 
I the month of January next, in order to receive 
i and take in the suid produce. The Board 
\ therefore havins" considered the same, thoiigiht 
j proper to request the said Mr. Caldwell to 
write immediately to his correspondents there 
informing them that a small vessel will be 
chartered and sent to Georgia, in the begin- 
ning of January next, and requestinof that the 
several benefactors may have the efi:ects to be 
received, ready to be sent on board the said 
vessel, that so no expense from unnecessary 
delays may accrue. And Mr. George Bryan 
(with the assistance of Mr. Jonathan Smith, 
merchant of Philadelphia,) is appointed to 
charter such vessel to proceed to Georgia, con- 
signed to such person or persons and observ- 
ing such directions, as Mr. Caldwell shall ad- 



;> 



Vise. 

"Whereas by a law passed December, 1767, 
for ascertining the power and authority of the 
respective officers of the college, some mis- 
constructions have been made of the words 
following, viz : — ' The particular officer wheth- 
er President or Tutors, who shall have the 
itrmiediate superintendency and instruction of 
a particular class, shall have the sole authori- 
ty, of directing the times and manner of their 
recitations and other collegiate exercises.' — 
And it hath thence been conceived that a tu- 
tor hath the sole power of ordering and di- 
recting the methods to be pursued in the in- 
struction of youth, belonging to his particular 
class, though contrary to the opinion and sen- 
timents of the president of the college : — The 
trustees therefore, do declare that the Presi- 



40 



HISTORY OF TH£ 



dent of this college, for the time being, is in- 
vested with the sole direction, as to the 
methods of education to be pursued in this 
seminary — and that the words above recited 
shall not be so construed as to exclude him 
from the sole direction, whenever he may 
think proper to interfere in the conduct and 
regulation of the modes of instruction ; he 
being chiefly answerable to the world, for the 
particular steps which are taken, in educating 
the pupils trained up in this college. And 
the trustees are rather induced to make the 
above explanation and amendment of the 
said law for that when it was enacted, the 
president elect resided in Great Britain, and 
it was uncertain how long a tune might 
elapse before he should actually take the 
chair: but now he hath actually taken upon 
himself the charge of the college, and the 
trustees have been so fully satisfied, by expe- 
rience, of his great abilities in the mangement 
of the institution committed to his care, 
and wtth high pleasure have seen his inde- 
fatigable lobors and success in raising the 
reputation of this college ; they are clearly of 
opinion, that all the authority above declared 
to be annexed by the said law to the office of 
President of the college, is highly proper to 
be put into the hands of the Rev. Dr. Wither- 
spoon, the now president.^' 

" Resolved, that Dr. Witherspoon and Mr. 
Stockton be a committee to collect and ex- 
amine into all the writings, instruments of 
conveyance, records and papers, relative to 
the affairs of this college and corporation, to 
see that all deeds be properly acknowledged 
and recorded, to take an inventory and list 
of all those writings, and to provide a suffi- 
cient and strong box or chest, in which the 
whole may be securely deposited and safely 
preserved, and that the same be, and remain, 
in the custody of the president of this college 
for the time being.'' 

The funds of the college were not invested 
at this time, but were let out upon loan, gene- 
rally personal security; the trusteesjfindingthat 
they lost money thereby — passed a law requi- 
ring the mortgage of real estate as security for 
the use of all sums over ^6200. 

A legacy of fifty pounds was handed in to 
the trustees by the heirs of Robert Walker, 
Esq., of Pennsylvania, to be applied to the 
educatioa of pious youth, in the college, for 
the ministry. 

Prof. Houston is appointed Librarian and 



keeper of the philosophical apparatus. 

'^ Resolved, that Mr. Caldwell be desired in 
the name of this board to transmit letters to 
the several presbyteries, belonging to the 
synod of New York and Philadelphia, who 
have set forward subscriptions in their respec- 
tive bounds for the benefit^of this college, pray- 
ing their care and diligence to collect in or 
take proper securities, for the moneys ; and 
that they will be pleased to direct that exact 
accounts of the same be brought to the next 
meeting of the synod, and Dr. Witherspoon, 
Dr. Rodgers, Mr. Treat and Mr. Bryan are 
appointed a committee to settle those accounts 
with the several presbyteries." 

This resolution relates to the subscriptions, 
spoken of before, which had been ordered by 
synod. The amount of the returns cannot be 
well inserted in this place. The report of the 
Committee appointed in 1774 to revise the 
treasury, the loss of which was recovered 
by a committee of finance appointed in 1793, 
contains something on this matter ; and the 
report of that secondary committee is so im- 
portant and so much allied with the report of 
the original committee, that it will be most 
conducive to a perspicuous understanding of 
the state of the financial department of the 
college, from the commencement of its history 
till the year '93, to approach that report in 
the order of its date, when it will be quoted 
entire. It will be sufficient to remark, in this 
place, that a part of the amount raised by the 
above subscriptions was appropriated by the 
synod, under such restrictions, as to involve 
the college in some embarrassment as to the 
propriety of their disposing of it in accordance 
with a just construction of the powers of 
their charter. 

" Dr. Witherspoon is desired at his leisure 
to return the thanks of this board by letter to 
all such gentlemen, as he may know or be 
well informed, have been most active and 
zealous in promoting the late subscriptions for 
the benefit of the college fund." 

«' It having been represented to this board 
that there appears to be some prospect of ob- 
taining a grant of lands in this province for the 
benefit of this institution, by preferring a pe- 
tition for that purpose to the Council of pro- 
prietors of East Jersey ; Resolved, therefore, 
that Dr. Witherspoon, Messrs. Stockton and 
Smith be a committee to meet and consult to- 
gether on the proper measures to be pursued 
in making the said application, and if upon 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



41 



eonsiiltation and advice, they shall deem the 
measure worthy of prosecution, they are here- 
by empowered to draw up a petition for the 
grant of 1000 acres of land, for the use of this 
institution in name and behalf of the trustees, 
and to prefer the same at the next meeting^ of 
the council of proprietors at Amboy." The 
committee very soon after report, that they 
did not "deem the measure worthy of pros- 
ecution." 

September 25th 1771. Twelve bachelors 
were admitted to their degree. Madison grad- 
uated this year. 

"It having been represented, that disputes 
have not infrequently arisen, among the stu- 
dents of college, respecting claims of preference 
in choice of rooms, to the breach of that har- 
mony and order which ought ever to subsist 
among the members of this society; in order 
therefore to remove every occasion of such 
diiFerence, it is now ordered by this board, 
that every student hereafter shall, and may, 
remain in quiet and undisturbed possession of 
the chamber, which, at his first coming to re- 
side at college, he shall be directed to occupy: 
nor shall he be liable to be dispossessed of the 
same by any graduate or under graduate, on 
pretence of any claim of choice from superior- 
ity of standing : nor shall any exchanges, or 
removes be hereafter made, unless by volun- 
tary agreements with the assent of the presi- 
dent or tutors, or unless by their express or- 
der for other reasons of convenience than 
claims from superiority of standing ; Provided, 
always, that if any student shall absent him- 
self without license, for the space of one week 
after the expiration of the spring or fall vaca- 
tions, or shall absent himself, without leave, 
for one day during the course of the summer or 
winter terms, then, and in such cases, any stu- 
dents, with the consent of the president and tu- 
tors first obtained, may enter into, and take pos- 
session of, thechambersodeserted, and the stu- 
dent so absenting himself shall forfeit all his 
right and title to the same." 

Further extracts from the records of this 
period, cannot be introduced into this compi- 
lation. The minutes of the meetings held dur- 
ing the first few years succeeding Dr. VVither- 
spoon's arrival, are very full and always im- 
portant. It has been difficult in the case of 
the extracts already given, to decide what to 
take and what to reject. The minutes them- 
selves, during this period, are, for the most 
part, of the authorship of one of the greatest 



lawyers our country has produced, and a full 
transcription of them would be the best con- 
densed history of the college that could be 
written, of the period which they cover. 

In March 1772. It was represented to the 
board, that there was a fair prospect of col- 
lecting a considerable sum for the use of the 
college, in the West Indies; and such reasons 
were offered as convinced them that it was 
highly proper to send a well qualified agent 
to those parts for that purpose. Dr. Wither- 
spoon was, accordingly, requested to under- 
take the commission. He acquiesced and de- 
termined to go, but afterwards recommended 
his son, James Witherspoon, who was about 
making a journey to Barbadoes on his own ac- 
count, to the board for the appointment which 
had been made to himself The trustees ac- 
ceded to the substitution, and in addition to 
that gentleman they thought proper to com- 
mission a more express agent, the Rev. Charles 
Beattie, a member of the board. Messrs. Beat- 
tie and Witherspoon were, accordingly, duly 
commissioned, and taking proper credentials, 
embarked on their agency. But the undertak- 
ing was most lamentably frustrated, by the 
death of Mr. Beattie, soon after his arrival, 
and the approaching troubles of the Revolu- 
tion, prevented the resumption of it afterwards. 

The board received intelligence of Mr. Beat- 
tie's death in September, and record, " It ap- 
pearing that Mr. Edward Ireland, in Barba- 
does, had showed particular kindness to Mr. 
Beattie, ordered, that W. P. Smith, Esq. write 
a letter of thanks to him in the name of the 
board." 

The gentlemen of this commission to the 
West Indies, were furnished by Dr. Wither- 
spoon, with an address to the inhabitants of 
those parts, which is now interesting in itself, 
on account of its authorship, and also contains 
an account of the college during the period of 
its history under review. Some extracts from 
that address, relating to the course of instruc- 
tion in the college, at the time, will be given 
in this place. The entire article is well worth 
perusal, and may be found in the 4th vol. of 
the Philadelphia edition of his works. 

" I will now proceed to speak a little of the 
Constitution and Advantages of the College 
of New Jersey in particular. 

" About twenty-four years ago, several gen- 
tlemen and ministers in this province, by the 
friendship and patronage of Jonathan Belcher, 
Esq. then Governor, obtained a very ample 

a 



HISTORY OF THE 



royal charter, incorporating them under the 
title of Trustees of the College of New Jersey ; 
and giving them the same privileges and 
powers that are given to the ' two English 
Universities, or any other University or ' Col- 
lege in Great Britain.' They, although only 
possessed of a naked charter, without any 
public encouragement, immediately began the 
instruction ; and very soon after, by their own 
activity and zeal, and the benevolence of 
others who had the highest opinion of their 
integrity, raised a noble building, called Nas- 
sau Hall at Princeton, New Jersey. This 
they chose to do, though it wasted their capi- 
tal, as their great intention was to make ef- 
fectual provision, not only for the careful in- 
struction, but for the regular government of 
the youth. There all the scholars are lodged, 
and also boarded, except when they have ex- 
press license to board out, in the president's 
house or elsewhere. 

The regular course of instruction is in four 
classes, exactly after the manner and bearing 
the names of the classes in the English uni- 
versities : Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and 
Senior. In the first year, they read Latin and 
Greek, with the Roman and Grecian antiqui- 
ties, and rhetoric. In the second, continuing 
the study of the languages, they learn a 
complete system of geography, with the use of 
the globes, the first principles of philosophy, 
and the elements of mathematical knowledge. 
The third, though the languages are not whol- 
ly omitted, is chiefly employed in mathematics 
and natural philosophy. And the senior 
year is employed in reading the!higher classics, 
proceeding in the mathematics and natural 
philosophy, and going through a course of 
moral philosophy. In addition to these, the 
President gives lectures to the juniors and se- 
niors, which consequently every student hears 
twice over in his course, first upon chronology 
and history, and afterwards upon composition 
and criticism. He has also taught the French 
languages last winter, and it will continue to 
be taught to those who desire to learn it. 

"During the whole course oftheir studies, 
the three younger classes, two every evening 
formerly, and now three, because of their in- 
creased number, pronounce an oration on a 
stage erected for that purpose in the hall, im- 
mediately after prayers ; that they may learn, 
by early habit, presence of mind and proper 
pronunciation and gesture in public speaking. 
This excellent practice, which has been kept 



'up almost from the first foundation of the Col- 
lege, has had the most admirable effects. The 
senior scholars, every five or six weeks, pro- 
nounce orations of their own composition, to 
which all persons of any note in the neighbor- 
hood are invited or admitted. 

" The Collefre is now furnished with all the 
most important helps to instruction. The li- 
brary contains a very large collection of valu- 
able book. The lessons of astronomy are 
given upon the orrery, lately invented and 
constructed by David Rittenhouse, Esq., which 
is reckoned by the best judges the most ex- 
cellent in its kind of any ever yet produced; 
and when what is commissioned and now up- 
on its way is added to what the College al- 
ready possesses, the apparatus for the mathe- 
matics and natural philosophy will be equal if 
not superior to any on the continent. 

^'' As we have never yet been obliged to omit 
or alter it for want of scholars, there is a fixed 
annual Commencement on the last Wednes- 
day of September, when, after a variety of 
public exercises, always attended by a vast 
concourse of the politest company, from the 
different parts of this province and the cities 
of New York and Philadelphia, the students 
whose senior year is expiring, are admitted to 
the degree of Bachelors of Arts ; the Bache- 
lors of three years standing, to the degrees of 
Masters ; and such other higher degrees grant- 
ed as are either regularly claimed, or the Trus- 
tees think fit to bestow upon those who have 
distinguished themselves by their literary pro- 
ductions, or their appearances in public life. 

" On the day preceding the Commencement 
last year, there was (and it will be continued 
every year hereafter) a public exhibition, and 
voluntary contention for prizes, open for every 
member of College. These were first, second, 
and third prizes, on each of the following sub- 
jects. 1. Reading the English language with 
propriety and grace, and being able to answer 
all questions on its orthography and grammar. 
2. Reading the Latin and Greek languages 
in the same manner, with particular attention 
to true quantity. 3. Speaking Latin. 4. Latin 
versions. 5. Pronouncing English orations. 
The preference was determined by ballot, and 
all present permitted to vote, who were grad- 
uates of this or any other College." 

"As to the government of the college, no 
correction by stripes is permitted. Such as 
cannot be governed by reason and the princi- 
ples of honor and shame, are reckoned unfit 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



43 



for residence in a college. The collegiate] tinont to the southward of New-England, and 
censures are, 1. Private admonition by the probably greater than that of all the rest put 
president, professor, or tutor. 2. Before the' together. This we are at liberty to affirm has 
faculty. 3. Before the whole class to which in no degree arisen from pompous descriptions, 
the offender belongs. 4. And the last and or repeated recommendations in the public 
highest, before all the members of the college | papers. Vie do not mean to blame the lauda- 
assembled in the hall. And, to preserve the I ble attempts of others to do themselves justice, 
weight and dignity of these censures, it has | We have been often found fault with, and per- 
been an established practice that the last or j haps are to blame for neglect in this particular, 
highest censure, viz. public admonition, shall It is only mentioned to give full force to the 
never be repeated upon the same person. If | argument just now used, and the fact is cer- 
it has been thought necessary to inflict it upon 'tainly true. I do not remember that the name 
any one, and if this does not not preserve him of the college of New- Jersey has been above 
from falling into such gross irregularities a once or twice mentioned in the newspapers 
second time, it is understood that expulsion is for three years, except in a bare recital of the 
immediately to follow. acts of the annual commencements. The pre- 

" Through the narrowness of the funds, 'sent address arises from necessity, not choice ; 
the government and instruction has hitherto for had not a more private application been 
been carried on by a president and three tutors, found impracticable, the press had probably 
At last commencement, the trustees chose a J never been employed." 

professor of mathematics ; and intend, as their \ September 30th, 1772. The trustees attend 
funds are raised, to have a greater number of commencement ; twenty-two candidates were 
professorships, and carry their plan to as great ^ admitted to the first degree, among whom is 
perfection as possible. jthe name of Aaron Burr. 

" The above relates wholly to what is pro- 1 " The treasurer of the college is ordered on 
perly the college ; but there is also at the same ^ the first Saturday of every quarter-yearly 
place, established under the particular direc- 'month, at 10 o'clock of each of those days, to 
lion and patronage of the president, a gram- i attend at the President's house, and exhibit 
mar school, where boys are instructed in the for the inspection of the President, JMr. Stock- 
Latin and Greek languages with the utmost ton and Mr. Spencer, a committee of the board, 
care, and on the plan of the most approved all the bonds, notes, and other securities be- 
teachers in Great-Britain. It is now so large longing to the corporation. And the commit- 
as to have two masters for the languages, and tee are empowered to institute proceedings for 
one for writing and arithmetic; and as some the recovery of unsettled accounts." It seems 
are sent with a desisfn only to learn the Latin, that the board, not only had great difficulty 
Greek, and French languages, arithmetic, geo- in keeping the affairs of the treasury in good 
graphy, and the practical branches of the order, but that they had much trouble in col- 
mathematics, without going through a full lecting their debts. 



college course, such scholars are permitted to 
attend the instruction of the classes in what- 
ever coincides with their plan. It is also now 
resolved, at the request of several gentlemen, 
to have an English master after next vacation, 
for teaching the English language regularly 
and grammatically, and for perfecting by Eng- 
lish exercises those whose previous instruction 

may have been defective or erroneous." 

******** 

*'This leads me to observe, that it ought to 
be no inconsiderable recommendation of this 
college to those at a distance, that it has the 
esteem and approbation of those who are near- 
est it and know it best. The number of un- 
der graduates, or proper members of college, is 



near four times that of any college on the con- , mencemeut ; it is iiereby ordered, that every 



"Teaching Hebrew in the college, being 
considered by the board of great importance, 
especially to those who intend to study divin- 
ity, Mr. iDevens, one of the present Tutors in 
college, is appointed to instruct those in He- 
brew^ who offer themselves for that purpose. 
And although the board do not enjoin it upon 
all, as a part of college study necessar}^ for a 
degree, yet they direct the president earnestly 
to recommend the knowledge of Hebrew, and 
to take such methods as he judges most con- 
venient to enjjap^e the students to learn it as 
far as necessar3\ 

"The honor of this college being greatly 
interested in the public exhibitions and per- 
formances of the young gentlemen at com- 



• 1. 

candidate for a degree, propose to the president 
the subject upon which he intends to write, 
and obtain his leave. And after he has com- 
posed the piece he intends to deUver, he shall 
show it to the president for his correction at 
least four weeks before the commencement. 
And no one of the candidates may leave the col- 
lege after examination, till he has finished his 
commencement exercises, and had them cor- 
rected as aforesaid. And those who do not com- 
ply with this order shall not be allowed to ap- 
pear upon the stage. Or if any shall presume 
to deliver there what he has not showed as be- 
fore, the President is directed to stop him upon 
the delivery of such a sentence." And in the 
following year, " It was ordered, that in case 
r.ny student shall omit or refuse to comply 
with the said order, instead of being only 
prohibited speaking in public, as might be un- 
derstood by this regulation, he shall be denied 
a deo^ree, or be liable to such other censure as 
the board may think proper. And if the class, 
or any part of them undertake to introduce any- 
thing, as part of the entertainment during the 
time of the public exercises at commencement 
without the desire or consent of the faculty, 
they shall be liable to censure, as aforesaid." 
These are evidently ex post facto laws. 

" It appeared to the board highly expedient 
that a number of the trustees should attend 
the public examination of candidates for de- 
grees, accordingly, it is ordered, that Messrs. 
Peartree Smith, Stockton, Tennent, Spencer, 
Livingston, McKnight, Read, Caldwell, Hal- 
sey, and McWhorter, do attend and direct the 
ensuing examination, the third Wednesday in 
August, and they or a majority of them, toge- 
ther with any other trustees attending the ex- 
amination, shall report to the board, at their 
meeting previous to the commencement, whom 
they judge qualified for degrees." 

Here we have the first regularly instituted 
examining committee of the trustees, an in- 
stitution that has been continued to the present 
time. The first report of the examining com- 
mittee, is as follows : 

Sept. 28th, 1773.— "The committee ap- 
pointed to attend the examination, report, That 
they met and continued the examination from 
seven o'clock in the morning till one o'clock 
next day, and agreed to recommend to the 
board twenty-eight of the class which was ex- 
amined," among whom were Governors, Lee, 
of Virginia, Morgan Lewis, of New York, and 
Aaron Ogden, of New Jersey. 



HISTORY OF THE 



*<Dr. Witherspoon, Mr. Spencer, and Mr. 
Boudinot, are appointed managers, to procure 
the public dinner, next commencement, and to 
give invitations tosuch strangers attending com- 
mencement, as they may judge proper." ' The 
year followinsf, this "Committee appointed to 
provide a public dinner for the trustees and 
their friends, reported" — the cost. ^'Ordered, 
that for the future, there be no public dinner8 
at the expense of this board." 

The report of the Exam. Committee appoint- 
ed this year for the ensuing examination, had 
discretionary power to prolong the same, as all 
succeeding committees had, and their report, 
which will be introduced under the present 
ante-date, shows the thoroughness with which 
those examinations were then, and thereafter 
conducted. "The committee appointed to at- 
tend the public examination of candidates for 
degrees, report, that they began the examina- 
tion on Tuesday morning, August 16th, at 6 
o'clock, and continued it till the following 
Thursday at noon, and did agree to recom- 
mend all the class to the board, as worthy of 
degrees, except two." The examinations were 
at this period published in the New York and 
Philadelphia papers. 

The above extracts will show how the com- 
ing of Dr. Witherspoon to the presidency, had 
an effect to revive the hopes and animate the 
exertions of the friends of the college, until it 
was brought to a degree of prosperity that it 
had never known before. A reference to the 
Triennial catalogue during this period, will 
show a corresponding increase in the number 
of students. But a more fearful paroxysm in 
the progress of discipline, to which this institu- 
tion seems from the first to have been fated, is 
now at hand. " The times that tried men's 
souls" are approaching, and no individual 
came in for a greater share of the trial than 
did Nassau-Hall. 

7%e College during the Revolution. 

The precise time at which the college was 
disbanded in consequence of the war of the 
Revolution does not appear. At the annual 
meeting held in September 1775, nothing un- 
usual IS manifest in the deliberations and ac- 
tion of the board; nothing from which one 
would suppose that they anticipated the sud- 
den catastrophe of the storm that was brewing. 
They adjourned to the regular semi-annual 
meeting to have been held in April following. 
But by that time the affairs of the nation had 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



45 



come to such a pass, that every one could fore- 
cast the manner in which the issue was to be 
tried. The war was inevitable, and it came. 
The trustees did not meet again in quorum till 
May,1777. The students probably left the col- 
lege immediately upon the arrival of the ene- 
my in thispart of the state, and on the 2d day of 
Jan. 1777, the enemy took possession of it. The 
main body of the British army were assembled 
at Princeton on the night of the first, being 
on their way to Trenton, and a brigade under 
Lieutenant-colonel Mawhood was ordered to 
quarter in the town and college. This brigade 
consisted of the 17th, 40th, and 55ih regi- 
ments, with three troops of dragoons, all of 
them Hessians. They used the basement 
rooms of the building for stables. It is likely 
that the colleo:e, tog^ether with the church in 
town, were sufficient to quarter the whole bri- 
gade. Some historians say that these soldiers, 
being the vanguard of Cornwallis' army, had 
been quartered in town for several weeks pre- 
vious to the battle of Princeton. By the night 
of the 2nd, Cornwallis had shut up Washington 
at Trenton, waiting only for the daylight of the 
3d to annihilate his army, and close the war ; 
as to all human appearance he would have 
done had Washington waited for the attack. 
If there ever was a crisis in the affairs of the 
Revolution, this was the moment ; thirty min- 
utes would have sufficed to bring the two 
armies into contact, and thirty more would 
have decided the combat. Cornwallis sup- 
posing the Americans were without retreat, 
addressed his officers on that night saying 
" the men had been under arms the whole 
day ; they were languid and required rest ; 
he had the enemy safe enough and could dis- 
pose of them the next morning; for these 
reasons he proposed that the troops should 
make fires, refresh themselves, and take re- 
pose." His officers acquiesced, except Sir 
William Erskine who exclaimed, " My Lord, 
if you trust these people to-night you will see 
nothing of them in the morning." In the 
morning Cornwallis hearing the firing at this 
place, inquired what it was, Erskine replied 
" My Lord, it is Washington at Princeton." 

The retreat from Trenton was effected on 
the night of January 2d, 1777. It was con- 
ducted along the Gtuaker-Road. When the 
column had reached the skirt of the woods in 
which the Friends Meeting house stands. Gen- 
eral Mercer led off" a small detachment for the 
purpose of destroying the bridge which crosses 



Stony-Brook by the old road. His object 
was to prevent pursuit from Trenton and to 
intercept fugitives from Princeton, that is of 
(he regiments quartered there which he anti- 
cipated would be routed by the main column 
of Washington's army, and would naturally 
retreat towards Cornwallis. The present 
Turnpike was, of course, not in existence at 
the time. On his way to the bridj^^e Mercer 
encountered the 17th regiment which had left 
the college, and was on march to Trenton. — 
This was early in the morning of the third, 
just after sun rise. The Battle of Princeton 
was contested, on the side of the enemy, en- 
tirely by this regiment. The scene of the bat- 
tle was in the neighborhoodof the place where 
Mercer's detachment first recoonized the 17th. 
Both parties, upon the recognition, made for 
the summit of the declivity on the east side of 
the brook, and attained it in about equal time. 
The action commenced with a volley from 
Mercer's detachment, who were stationed in 
line diagonally across the present turnpike and 
exactly bisected by it, on the top of the hill. 
The particulars of that engagement, not hav- 
ing immediate connexion with the college, 
cannot be noticed any farther in this place. 
The main column of the American army was 
in the mean time moving in sightofthe battle, on 
its way to Princeton. By the time the head of it 
had reached the further side of the ravine 
which crosses the turnpike just beyond the 
Seminary grounds, they deployed in conse- 
quence of the 40th and 55th Hessians, who at- 
tracted by the firing had left the college and 
formed on the opposite brow of the ravine. Their 
lines crossed the corner of the Seminary lot. 
Two regiments of Americans were ordered to 
attack. They advanced for that purpose, but 
before they had crossed the ravine the British 
turned about and precipitated themselves into 
the college building, the windows of which 
were immediately knocked out in preparation 
for a defence. The Americans ^pected a 
warm reception, but before they had ap- 
proached to within a quarter of a mile of the 
building, the Hessians rushed out of the front 
and retreated to New Brunswick. Some balls 
were fired by a detachment of the American 
army, who brought up the field pieces, not 
knowing that the British had retreated. One 
of these balls struck the college at a point west 
of the chapel projection about opposite the re- 
gion where the beams of the second floor en- 
ter the wall, and between the second and third 



HISTORY OF THE 



windows counting from the projection ; the 
exact part which the ball struck was for along 
time perfectly obvious. The place, weakening 
the spandrel between the arches of the win- 
dows, has since been filled in anew. Signs 
of that filling in are still apparent to those who 
have previously seen the shattered portion. — 
The ball rebounded, passing very near a mount- 
ed officer of St. Clair's brigade. Another entered 
one of the chapel windows and tore away a por- 
trait of George H., from the frame which 
now contains the picture of Washington 
and the death of Mercer, in the chapel. — 
From this circumstance, which is purely au- 
thentic as will be seen further on, the portrait 
probably hung on the side of the room oppo- 
site that on which the present painting hangs. 
When the troops assembled at Princeton, 
the absence of the General, who had been led 
away some distance in the pursuit of the fugi- 
tives — that is of the 1 7th regiment, with which 
the battle was fought and which was totally 
destroyed, excited strong emotions of alarm 
for his safety, which he soon relieved by his 
presence. They found in the town some shoes 
and blankets, which to the Americans at that 
time were of all things most acceptable. Some 
of the officers arrived soon enough to partake 
of a breakfast which a mess of the 40th regi- 
ment had compelled the steward of the college 
to prepare for them in the president's house, 
and at which they v/ere in the act of sitting 
down, when they were interrupted by the fir- 
ing at the battle. 

Washington immediately led on his army 
towards Morristown ; the sick and wounded 
were left in the college building, which was 
thence used as a hospital for six or eight 
months. The extent of the devastation ef- 
fected by the soldiers on both sides upon the 
college premises can only be expressed by say- 
ing, that whatever about the building or the 
grounds was capable of being burnt and could 
be torn up, was destroyed. The season of the 
year when the building was occupied by sol- 
diers was that of the intensest cold, and sol- 
diers are apt to tear up things when they are 
in need of a fire. It is said that the Americans 
destroyed much more than the British ; it is 
very likely they did so, for they had a much 
longer chance ; but in the strife of a wanton 
and malicious destruction it is to be hoped that 
there are few beings who have capacities in 
that way equal to those of the horrid wretches 
who composed the Hessian regiments in the Jer- 



seys. Between the two, however, whether for 
malice or for fuel the building was torn to 
pieces, stripped from roof to basement of every 
particle of wood work that could be removed, 
the floors were cut up, the fences were demol- 
ished very speedily, so that anywhere in the 
neighborhood of the college there was no such 
thing to be found. Worse than all this, how- 
ever, the ornaments of the prayer hall and li- 
brary, the philosophical apparatus, and the 
orrery constructed by Dr. Rittenhouse, were 
wantonly destroyed or injured. 

The above account of the battle of Prince- 
ton, as immediately connected with the part 
which Nassau-Hall sustained in that affair, 
has been compiled from Major Wilkinson's 
Memoirs. As that gentleman was an officer 
in St. Clair's brigade, which formed the ad- 
vance guard of the army in its retreat from 
Trenton, and a spectator of the greater part 
of the action, his account is probably in the 
main correct. 

It is said, in some of the histories, that " af- 
ter a few discharges of the cannon brought to 
bear upon the building, Capt. James Moore, 
of the militia, a daring officer (late of Prince- 
ton) aided by a few men, burst open one of 
the doors and demanded a surrender ; which 
was instantly complied with. In the building 
were a number of invalid soldiers ; but Wash- * 
ington, having no time to spare, left those un- 
able to travel, on their patrole of honor, and 
hurried off with the rest towards Brunswick." 

Cornwallis commenced pursuit, on the 
morning of the third, immediately on finding 
his victim had escaped. The following his- 
torical extract relates to " the old cannon," 
which as it also made some noise about this 
time, very well deserves to be exalted, as it 
now is on the college grounds, and to be had 
in some remembrance. 

" On the near approach of the British army, 
I in pursuit, to Princeton, their advance divi- 
sion was suddenly brought to a stand by the 
discharge of a large 32 pounder. This piece 
of ordnance formerly belonged to the British; 
which Washington was unable to take with 
him when he left Princeton, on account of its 
carriage being broken. It had been stationed 
on a temporary breastwork thrown up by the 
40th and 55th Hessians, for the purpose of 
contesting'the approach of the American col- 
umn on its retreat from Trenton. Vestiges of 
this breastwork are still to be seen, on the 
portion occupied by the British lines, in the 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



4ft 



vicinity of the Seminary grounds. The piece 
was loaded by some of the inhabitants of the 
town and pointed towards the British army. 
As their advance guard were coming up the 
rising ground, within 300 or 400 yards, it was 
discharged, which brought them instantly to a 
halt. The enemy, supposing that Washing- 
ton had determined to make a stand under 
cover of the town, sent out their reconnoiter- 
ing parties of horsemen, and in the mean time 
cautiously approached the breastwork with 
their main body, determined to carry it by 
storm. By these movements they were de- 
layed nearly an hour ; and when arrived at 
the breastwork and the town, were astonished 
to find them destitute of defenders.'^ 

On the 25th September 1776, about three 
months previous to the battle of Princeton, his 
Excellency Gov. Livingston, together with the 
president and nine others of the board of trus- 
tees had met, "it beincrthe day of commence- 
ment, and seeing no probability of a quorum to 
do business regularly, on account of the diffi- 
culty of public affairs, agreed to recommend to 
the board at their next sitting, the following 
things." Among these things, they recommend 
the board "to sustain the examination of the 
candidates for degrees, which was performed 
by the faculty, without the presence of the 
committee appointed for that purpose." The 
examination here referred to is manifestly that 
held in April, 1775. And it was upon the 
credit of that examination that the class which 
would have graduated regularly in '76 had 
their degrees authenticated by an after vote of 
the board. *' The gentlemen met judged a 
meeting of the board this fall to be of great 
importance and therefore ordered the Clerk to 
issue citations to all the members to meet at 
Princeton on the 3d Wednesday in November 
next. N. B. The incursions of the enemy 
into the state, and the depredation of the 
armies prevented this meeting and indeed pre- 
vented all regular business in the college for 
two or three years." This note, whether orig- 
inal or inserted by a transcriber, expresses the 
true state of the case, as will appear in further 
extracts. The college was entirely disbanded 
only as long as the enemy remained in the 
state, afterwards a few students who attended 
were directed in their studies by the president, 
but no formal commencement was held until 
the year '79. A full account of that commence- 
ment may be found in the New- Jersey Gazette. 
The effect of the war in diminishing the classes, , 



may be ascertained by consulting the Trien- 
nial Catalogue. Its effect in diminishing the 
revenue of the college just at a moment when 
it was beginning to emerge from one of its 
most sorrowful periods, will appear in further 
extracts from the minutes. 

May 24th, 1777. The board of trustees 
met at Coopers-ferry. " It was proposed 
for consideration whether it be expedient to 
collect the students of the colleo-e and endea- 
vour to proceed with their usnal instruc- 
tion? After deliberation — agreed, that if the 
enemy remove out of this state, Dr. Wither- 
spoon is desired to call the students together 
atPrinceton and to proceed with their education 
in the best manner he can, considering the 
state of public affairs, and if more students 
can be collected than the Doctor can instruct 
himself, he is directed to obtain such assistance 
as may be necessary. 

Dr. Witherspoon, Mr. Stockton and Mr. 
Spencer were appointed a committee to deter- 
mine what repairs are necessary for the con- 
venience of the students, and to order them to 
be made. But they were directed to go no 
further than shall be requisite to save the buil- 
ding." 

These resolutions were not acted upon until 
some time after; probably the gentlemen of the 
board themselves had not a full conception of 
the extent of the damage. 

When at length the sudden confusion of the 
times had so far subsided as to allow the ofuar- 
dians of the institution to assemble once more 
in their usual manner, at the semi-annual meet- 
ing of the board held in April 1778, they found 
their beautiful house, burnt up with fire, and 
all their pleasant things laid waste. The build- 
ing a heap of ruins — "their church" so dilapi- 
dated as to be entirely open to the weather, 
every thing that they had collected of an or- 
namental description destroyed or defaced, and 
the whole premises a miserable wreck, more 
fit for satyrs than students. What must have 
been their feelings as they contemplated this 
shame and ignominy done to that which they 
had been so many painful years of alternate 
hope and despair in bringing at last to a de- 
gree of strength and beauty which they fond- 
ly anticipated would be permanent. But 
whatever may have been their feelings, they 
immediately, in spite of all the calamities of 
their own condition and of the times, with a 
confidence and energy that appear to have 
been the effect of inspiration, address them- 



48 



HISTORY OF THE 



selves to the work of building np once more 
their house, now doubly diminished in the 
destruction of their buildings and in the des- 
truction of their resources. They at once 
resolve "that an attempt be made to revive the 
college so long interrupted by the war." 

The college was formally committed to the 
care and management of Dr. Witherspoon, 
who with the assistance of Professor Houston, 
assumed the entire responsibility and agreed 
to attend to the instruction of any students 
who should offer themselves. Soon after this 
arrangement was made. President Smith upon 
a very honorable and generous susfgestion and 
compromise on the part of Dr. Witherspoon, 
was chosen Professor of Moral Philosophy. 
These three gentlemen then assumed the whole 
management of the college, and the arrange- 
ment continued for the most part during the 
war. 

The funds and resources of the board were 
not only interrupted and lessened at this time, 
but were annihilated. The securities which 
they held were useless. A claim was made 
upon them by the holder of a prize ticket of 
one of their lotteries, and they declared that it 
was impossible for them to pay either principal 
or interest. The money with which the re- 
pairs of buildings was effected had to be ad- 
vanced by members of the board. Particular 
gratitude is due on this point to the Rev. Mr. 
Caldwell, and the three gentlemen of the fac- 
ulty. At the same meeting of the board they 
agree "to use their most vigorous endeavours 
to solicit benefactions in this and the neigh- 
boring states." Rev. Dr. Scott of New Bruns- 
wick, made great exertions in Pennsylvania to 
obtain some funds, but notwithstanding the 
friendly feeling apparent in parts of that state 
towards the institution, the circumstances of 
the times were such that his labors were but 
slightly productive. Repeated attempts were 
made to sell ground owned by the college, es- 
pecially a lot in Philadelphia, but no pur- 
chaser could be found. A tax was laid on 
the few students entering college, of a guinea 
each, the income of which together with room 
rents to be a fund for repairs. On the credit 
of this fund, a committee is appointed to pro- 
ceed to Philadelphia and endeavour to negoti- 
ate a loan. They reported afterwards that 
they had not been able in any manner to ef- 
fect it, but had advanced thirty -five pounds 
to the committee of repairs. 

The first thing done to the building in the 



way of repairs was to tighten the roof and 
glaze the windows, next the rooms in the sec- 
ond story were commenced upon, and contin- 
ued to be completed only as necessity called for 
them. By the year 1783 the second and third 
stories had been so far repaired that parts of 
them were occupied. The lower and the 
fourth stories were still in ruins, with the ex- 
ception of one room in the fourth, which was 
occupied by one of the literary societies. 

The building was not only used as a bar- 
rack and hospital by the government troops, 
as before mentioned, but soldiers either of the 
state militia or of the continental army con- 
tinued to be quartered in it until the year '81, at 
which time the trustees found it necessary to 
appeal to authorities to have the destructive 
custom prevented. 

It was at this same meeting of the board 
now under review, April, 1788, the first regu- 
lar meeting held at Princeton after the break- 
ing out of the war, that application was order- 
ed to be made to the state legislature for the 
confirmation of the charter. The business was 
committed to Messrs. Peartree Smith, McWhor- 
ter and Caldwell. The present charter, as a- 
mended from the ancient one, was therefore 
written by those gentlemen, probably in chief 
by Mr. Smith. The act amending and estab- 
lishing the charter was passed March 13th, 
1780. A further amendment, which the leg- 
islature would not concede at that time, con- 
cerning the lessening of the quorum, was 
passed November 2d, 1781. 

In the fall of 1783, Congress was holding 
its sittings in the college-hall. They had ad- 
journed to this place from Philadelphia, in 
consequence of the mutinous threats of a por- 
tion of the Pennsylvania line, after the dis- 
banding of the army at the peace. That ven- 
erable body attended the annual commence- 
ment of the college on the last Wednesday in 
September ; and General Washington who 
was also in Princeton at that time, sat on the 
stage during the public speaking. President 
Green, graduated on that day, and delivered the 
valedictory oration. At the close of his speech 
he turned to General Washington, and made 
to him a most eloquent and effective personal 
address, congratulating him on the happy is- 
sue of the perilous and long contest in which 
he had been engaged, and thanking him in be- 
half of his fellow students and the authorities 
of the college for the important and distin- 
guished services rendered to the country dur- 



COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



49 



ing the war brought at length, so much through 
his iiistrumentaUty, to a glorious termination. 
This incident excited a thrilling interest in the 
whole assembly ; and the presence of Congress 
and of the commander in chief of the Ameri- 
can army rendered this commencement one 
of the most interesting that has occurred since 
the origin of the institution. 

Before Washington left the town the board 
passed the following resolutions: — 

" The Board being desirous to give some 
testimony of their high respect for the charac- 
ter of his Excellency General Washington, 
who has so auspiciously conducted the armies 
of America ; — 

" Resolved, that the Revds. Drs. Wither- 
spoon, Rodgers and Jones, be a committee to 
wait upon his Excellency to request him to 
sit for his picture to be taken by Mr. Charles 
Wilson Peale of Philadelphia ; and ordered, 
that his portrait when finished be placed in 
the hall of the college, in the room of the pic- 
ture of the late king of Great Britain, which 
was torn away by a ball from the American 
artillery in the battle of Princeton.'^ 

On the following day Dr. Witherspoon re- 
ported that " his Excellency General Wash- 
ington had delivered to him fifty guineas 
which he begged the trustees to accept as a 
testimony of his respect for the college. 

« Resolved, that the board accept it, and that 
the same committee who were appointed to 
solicit his Excellency's picture do at the same 
time present to him the thanks of the board 
for this instance of his politeness and gener- 
osity." 

The painting procured in accordance with 
the above resolution is well known to be that 
which now ornaments the college chapel. It 
hangs, from necessity of the direction of light, 
opposite the place which its frame used to oc- 
cupy when it contained the portrait of the 
king. A full length painting of Governor 
Belcher used to be in its present place. The 
latter painting was entirely destroyed by the 
British soldiery; an effort to restore it was 
made by the trustees, who applied to the fam- 
ily of the Governor for a portrait to copy from. 
The present painting was executed by the 
artist mentioned in the resolution ; it was fin- 
ished and put up in 1784. It is a great objec- 
tion to the merit of this piece of art being 
properly appreciated that it has a locality in 
which no one would think of finding a fine 
painting. Were it placed in a proper and ac- 



cessible position among others it would un- 
doubtedly be the principal point of attraction 
in almost any picture gallery that has been 
collected in this country. This difficulty that 
the painting has to contend against is a real 
one ; few persons are willing or able to per- 
ceive the merit of a production of any kind of 
Art, except by comparison, or on the credit of 
a general reputation previously made known. 
The painting in question is mainly a portrait 
of Washington — but it is also, in a subordi- 
nate sense to this, an historical composition. 
The ti7ne at which the portrait was taken is 
just after the peace, and we have Washington, 
the stately, the subhme, the serene Washing- 
ton — the man that made and was made by the 
Revolution — just come up from the fearful 
ordeal of that most difficult and improbable of 
all the contests that were ever undertaken, 
standing on the sure platform of his success 
no more elated by that success than he was de- 
pressed by the hopelessness of it; waiting for 
the world's opinion and seemingly as indiffer- 
ent to the reputation of a hero as he was to 
the charge of being a rebel. Such was the 
strength of his confidence and so much was 
he his own governor. The commander in 
chief of the American Armies and the com- 
mander of himself. Let a person stand before 
this painting and res^ard the superb and glori- 
ous stature of the great personage there de- 
picted, the mere physical presence of his body 
and figure, and then study the countenance, 
the easy and equable settlement of all the 
features, the mouth and chin, calm and placid, 
yet so compact and decisive as at once to in- 
dicate the highest energy — with eyes out of 
which beam an effulgence not easily to be des- 
cribed; those eyes and their shadowing brows 
are the haunt of an expression which^it is one of 
the most difficult things to give words to, but 
which any one who has been in the habit of 
studying the effect of a certain union of power 
and complacency in productions of Art will 
at once recognize. An extract from an oration 
on the death of Washington by President 
Smith— a production that every scholar ought 
to read who has not read it — is introduced in 
this place as a commentary on the portrait. 
" Washington was always equal to himself. 
There was a dignity in the manner in which 
he performed the smallest duties. A majesty 
surrounded him that seemed to humble those 
who approached him, at the same time that 
there was a benignity in his manners that in- 



50 



HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. 



vited their confidence and esteem. His emo- 
tions, naturally strong and ardent, as they are 
perhaps in all great men, he had completely 
subjected to the control of reason, and placed 
under the guard of such a vigilant prudence, 
that he never suffered himself to be surprised 
by them. Philosophy and Religion in his 
breast had obtained a noble triumph ; and his 
first title to command over others was his per- 
fect command of himself." 

Some objection may be made to the fact of 
the principal figure of the piece being an in- 
different member in the composition. But it 
is to be remembered that this is a portrait of 
Washington, the General and Leader. Per- 
haps he is the only man of his time that could 
have been consistently represented as indiffer- 
ent to the death of an officer at his feet; but it 
is done consistently in this instance, even on 
the supposition of the other figures being es- 
sential parts of the composition. 

When it is remembered that Washington 
looked upon the success at Princeton as being 
one of the deciding victories of the Revolution, 
there is great force in the posture of the figure, 
the right hand with the sword referring to that 
battle; indeed considering the time of the repre- 
sentation as being at the close of the war, there 
is a very peculiar force in this incident of the 
painting; it has a truly artistic energy. There 
is also an exquisite artifice in the machinery 
of the flag, made as if by accident to encircle 
his head ; — that was the flag under which he 
led his armies. 

The death scene of General Mercer is beau- 
tiful, truly so. The calm and unruflied coun- 



tenance of one whose spirit is just about to 
leave for a world where battles cease forever, 
where nothing entereth to molest or make 
afraid, where the wicked cease from troubling 
and the weary are at rest, with the passing 
shadow of a very slight tino;e of anxious ex- 
pression, that may be the effect of bodily pain, 
and perhaps having some reference to his de- 
feat. It is the countenance of the amiable, 
the magnanimous, the pious Mercer. The ex- 
ecution giving a proper position to the body — 
and a general relaxation of the system by pain 
and approaching death, particularly the 
situation of the left arm and hand under the 
body, which cannot be seen except upon close 
examination, are very natural ; and the drapery 
is in accordance. But such things are small 
recommendations to a piece of Art; the man 
who put a prisoner to the rack that he might 
depict pain impressively, was no less an empir- 
ic in his Art than a monster in his humanity. 
The soul of Mercer appears in his countenance. 
The figure sustaining his head is impressive, 
as also the one leaning over him with the flag, 
trom their unobtrusiveness,and the evident 5m- 
cerity with which they contemplate the death 
of their General. And about the entire com- 
position there is an appearance of reality, far 
removed from the rant and excessiveness,of 
much Art — that would be meritorious even if 
it fell into dullness and monotony, which in 
this instance it is far from doing. The state 
and preservation of this painting should be at- 
tended to. If it cannot be defended from dust 
and wash where it is, then it should be re- 
moved. 



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